From the Water
by The Author's Mighty Pen
Summary: John Bates, poor fisherman, pulled up his net one day and never could have expected what he saw inside.
1. Prologue: Little Waves

_Life had never treated me kindly. Nothing treats anyone kindly. Not really. It's all perception really. What we see as good is horrible for someone else like the phrase, 'one man's trash is another man's treasure' I guess._

 _My daughter, Ondine, says that we just have to see the treasure in everything. She says a lot, Ondine, but that's what I love about her. She's not afraid to speak her mind, even if she's back talking to me. She's not ashamed of back talking me or arguing or debating… I think she gets it from all the times she heard her mother and I howling at one another. That was before the divorce. Now we try not to speak to one another._

 _Ondine is my miracle. Her mother endured a rough birth to have her and she's been in and out of hospital ever since. Her kidneys are already failing and she's not even seen her eleventh birthday. We named her Ondine because it means 'little wave'. As a fisherman I thought it would be good luck but as a father I wonder if I didn't predict a future for her… one where she'll never sail smoothly._

 _Our little village works off the fishing trawlers. We live on the beauty of the water. Ondine loves going out with me on my boat, watching the horizon and the waves balancing themselves in a continuous relationship older than time itself. Now that she's in a wheelchair it's a little harder to bring her out but I rigged a chair for her on deck that holds her in place without restricting her view. She loves it._

 _Her mother doesn't._

 _But the day I pulled in the catch that changed my life I was alone. That might be why I believed, for a time, that maybe I was dreaming about what I found. How else do you explain the woman I pulled from the water in my net?_


	2. Trawling

He adjusted course and aimed for the middle of the bay. His net dragged the water and the equipment creaked with rust and age. Holding his course he ranked the net and the mechanism whined while it drew the net up into the boat.

He risked a look back and started when he saw what was in the net. His fingers tangled in the weaving, dragging it over the side and dropping it quickly into his boat. With quick fingers he pulled the net apart. In a moment he grabbed under the prone figure's arms and dragged her back toward the cabin.

With a kick be stopped the motor on the boat, floating it in the tides of the bay, and returned to the woman's side. Her eyes were closed, no detectable breathing, and her clothing clinging to her body. He put his ear to her mouth and then her chest but could hear nothing.

Breathing out a moment he looked to his radio but then placed one hand over the other, interlacing his fingers. He pressed just below her ribcage, counting the compressions under his breath, and stopped when he reached the number he remembered from the fringes of his Red Cross training so long ago. He tipped her head back, lining it up as best he could and breathed into her mouth. Taking another breath he tried again, repeating the process for another few breaths before compressing her chest.

On the second go-round she gasped for air, coughing water into his mouth. He backed away, coughing for himself while she wretched the water from her lungs. Gathering his breath, he turned back to her while she hyperventilated.

"Hey, that's not going to do you any good." He soothed, taking her shoulders, but she twisted out of his grip. "It's alright."

She crawled to the other side of the boat, holding tightly there with her blonde hair in scraggly strings about her face. The wideness in her eyes and the rise and fall of her chest had him raising his hands in surrender. Slowly her breathing eased and he stood.

He pointed to his radio, "I'm going to radio for help. Just to make sure you've got some A&E when we-"

"No!" She shook her head in a fury, sending her blonde hair flying. "Nobody can know I'm here."

"What?" He reached for the radio but she sprang forward, ripping it from his grip. "Hey! Don't break it."

"Don't call anyone."

He worked his jaw back and forth a moment before nodding. "Alright, I won't call anyone. But what if you're hurt?"

"I'm fine," She sank into the corner of the cabin. "Just don't tell anyone."

"Okay." He ran a hand through his hair, ruffling it. "Do you have somewhere to be? Somewhere you want to go?"

"Just where no one will see me." She huddled, shivering in the corner."

"Okay," He nodded his head, more to himself than to anyone else when he kept repeating the motion. "Okay, okay… somewhere no one… okay."

He turned his motor back on, steering the boat back toward land. Risking a moment away from the wheel he checked his machinery, turning everything off and pulling it back into the boat, and returned to the cabin. With a glance down he noted her blue-tinged skin and grabbed a blanket to throw over her. She wrapped herself in it, teeth still chattering.

"What's your name then?" He smiled at her, "You've got one of those right?"

"Yes." Her teeth clacked, her jaw straining to hold itself closed in an attempt to stop her convulsions.

"Are you going to tell me what it is?"

"Anna."

"Anna?" He shrugged, "That's a lovely name. I thought about naming my daughter something like that."

"You've a daughter?" She sucked air through her teeth, her shivering slowing.

"Yes. Ondine."

"You named her after the spirit of the waters?"

"Technically it means 'little wave' because-"

"Because the spirit of the waters was Undine," She nodded, "I know. I studied Latin in school."

"Did you?" She nodded. "I studied history but it didn't do me any goo. I just took up my father's boat and his occupation."

"And your father's name?" He raised en eyebrow, "You haven't shared your name with me."

"Oh," He laughed a bit, steering the boat carefully into a little inlet. "It's John."

"Good name."

"My mother thought so." He aimed the boat to a dock and sopped the motor. "Come on."

"No one'll see me here?"

"No one." John assured her, working his way out of the cabin and jumping onto the dock to drag the boat by its ropes to kiss the wood. He tied it in place and pulled the knots tight. Offering his hand to her, he stood on the dock. "Come on then. You can't be there all day."

"Can't I?" She moved slowly from the cabin, her head darting from side to side as if worried someone might jump out from one of the bushes.

"Come on. I promise it's safe."

Anna took his hand and climbed over the side of the boat. She held the blanket tightly to herself as she followed him up the dock to a small house. John pushed the door open, coughing at the dust, and waved his hand through the air.

"It's not the best place but it's someplace. For now, anyway." John turned to her. "You'll be safe here and no one'll know you're here."

"You're sure?" She tiptoed into the room, her bare feet silent on the wood.

"It's my mother's house and she passed a few months ago. Now it's mine and no one comes here."

"Except you?" She turned to him and John smiled.

He reached out a hand but she recoiled slightly. With a cough he nodded, "Except me. I promise everything'll be alright."

Anna took a breath and continued her inspection of the small house. John started, something in his pocket vibrating. He grabbed into his coveralls, digging for his phone, and grunted when he saw the name on it.

"I've got to go."

"What?" Her face paled, "You can't leave."

"I've got to go. My daughter's got… a thing." John typed a quick response. "I'll be back tonight when I finish. I promise."

"When?"

John checked a clock, "Probably around eight or something. I'll bring food for later but for now I've got to go."

"Alright."

John stopped at the door, grinding his teeth before walking back to the downcast Anna. He risked a hand on her shoulder and she shuddered but did not pull away. "I promise, I'll be back."

He jogged down the dock, untying the boat, and drove it back to the main docks in the harbor. His knots made him squirm but so did the abhorrent screech of his cab door when he climbed into his truck. It trundled along the narrows roads, belching smoke every few meters, but he reached the line of the trailer-like houses at the edge of the water.

Slamming the door he hurried through the warren to one of them, sighing when a woman holding a cigarette between her fingers stood at the gate there. She flicked the ash off it before taking a deep drag. "You're late."

"I know."

"Was it that shit car of yours again?"

"No," John went to move past her but she stood in his way. "I've got to take Ondine to her appointment Vera."

"I thought you said you remembered."

"I did. I told you in the text I got held up." John opened the gate and smiled when a little girl pushed her wheelchair out the door toward him. "Ready?"

"You're late."

"I know. Dad's sorry."

"You always are." She beamed up at him, "Ready to go?"

"Yes." He took the handles on her chair, pushing her back through the warren with Vera right behind him.

"You need to see the doctor about where she is on the list."

"I know that."

"He's only there 'til five."

"I know."

"Then be n bloody time next time." John risked a look back to see where Vera stabbed her middle finger toward the sky after him. She scoffed, dragging on her fag before going back toward her house.

"She's upset because it meant she and Dick couldn't go on their date." Ondine craned her head back to see John as he stopped them next to his truck.

John paused, opening the door. "She doesn't call him 'Dick' does she?"

"Only when she wants it." Ondine held her arms up and John lifted her into the seat.

He pointed a finger at her, "That's not ladylike."

"I know. But they don't care if I can hear them and it keeps me up at night."

"Then I guess we'll have a talk with Mum when we get back." John closed the door, lifting the wheelchair into the back of the truck before climbing into the front seat again. "That's if she'll talk to me."

They drove to hospital and reversed the process of loading Ondine into the car so John could push her chair toward one of the exam rooms. As they passed it, John spotted the doctor walking out of another room. He showed Ondine a single finger and jogged to the doctor.

"Doctor Clarkson?" The man turned and John lowered his voice. "I know you're busy."

"I'm actually on my way to a surgery."

"It's a quick question." John gathered his breath, "What news do we have about her transplant?"

"Nothing definitive." Doctor Clarkson turned but stopped, grunting through his nose. "We've not got word because there's no word to be had. Not enough transplants available for all the people who need them and too many people who need them."

"Where's she fall on the list?"

"Too far down." John closed his eyes and felt Doctor Clarkson's hand on his shoulder. "For now, Mr. Bates. For the moment the dialysis is working and her body's strong enough for it. When there's news of a match I'll let you know."

John took a deep breath, nodding while trying to keep his emotions under control. "Thank you Doctor, for your kindness."

"I wish there was more I could do, truly I do Mr. Bates." Doctor Clarkson nodded at him before disappearing down the corridor.

John returned to Ondine and started pushing her down the hall again. Her fingers played on the handles of the chair. They were silent for some time before Ondine spoke.

"How far down the list am I?"

"Not too far," John tried to shake it off, settling her in the exam room and helping her onto the table.

"You're a shite liar Dad."

John laughed, hanging his head, "I am, aren't I?"

"It's a good thing." She settled back on the table, "It means that I know when you're telling me the truth."

John went to respond but the door opened and the nurse entered. "Hello Ondine. How've you been?"

"About the same. Still aching in all the wrong places and my chair's acting up." Ondine shrugged, shifting the paper on the table, and the nurse laughed with her.

"Did you bring a book?"

"No. Dad was late and I forgot."

"Oh well, I guess Dad's going to have to spend some time talking to you then." She looked over her shoulder at him, "How you been Mr. Bates?"

"Not bad Sybil. You?"

"About the same." She hooked the leads to Ondine, slipping the needles in and flicking the switch on the machine. "Tom's got himself a job as a journalist now days and that means he's away in Dublin twice a week."

"That's hard on you." John stroked a finger through Ondine's hair. "How Sybbie holding up with it?"

"She goes with him every other time. She likes a car ride and it's only the M6 most of the way." Sybil finished and smiled at Ondine. "There you are. How's that feel?"

"Like every other time."

"Good. Then I didn't ruin it." Sybil put a hand on her shoulder. "I'll see you in a few hours."

"Thank you Sybil." John waited for the door to close before turning to Ondine. "How are you?"

"I'm fine." She adjusted slightly, peeking at the sight of her blood running through the tubes to the machine and back out. "Will you tell me a story?"

"You haven't asked me to tell you a story in years."

"Does that mean you don't want to?" Ondine pouted and John smiled at her.

"You're too precocious and cunning for your own good."

"I now all your weaknesses." Ondine nodded at him. "Go on then."

"Well," John took a deep breath, leaning himself over to rest his chin on his arms on the tabletop. "What if I told you about a fisherman who went out trawling?"

"And did what?"

"He put his net into the water and it pulled something up."

"What?"

"A woman. There was a woman in his net."

"A woman?" Ondine tipped her head toward him. "What's he picking up a woman for?"

"He didn't know. He just wanted to go fishing."

"What was the woman?"

"Just a woman." John scowled, "What else would she be?"

"She could be a selkie."

"A what?"

"A selkie."

John shook his head, "What's a selkie?"


	3. Listing

John pushed Ondine back toward her house, knocking on the gate. They waited a few minutes for Vera to emerge, sucking on a fag and holding her dressing gown closed. She pulled open the gate and Ondine rolled herself in.

Vera dipped to give her a kiss on the head, holding her cigarette away before flicking the ashes off toward the side. "Go on inside and rest sweetheart. I'll have dinner ready for you in a few minutes."

Ondine aimed her chair for the door, "See you tomorrow Dad."

"I love you." John leaned over the gate, to place his own kiss on Ondine's dark head, and watched her go into the house. He turned back at Vera clearing her throat. "What?"

"Did you get there in time to talk to him?"

"I did."

Vera stared at him before waving her hands, "And?"

"He said that, for now, she's strong enough for the treatment and we can continue with dialysis without too many problems."

"But there's no transplant available?"

"No, not as yet." John shrugged, "If you want to blame me-"

"Why waste my breath cursing your dearly departed mother for the weak kidneys she cursed my daughter to have?" Vera puffed at her fag before flicking it toward the harbor. "I already make sure I pray she never found her way into heaven when I kneel down at night."

"I doubt that's what you do when you kneel down." John muttered.

"You want to repeat that again?"

"No." John sighed, "I do need to talk to you about Richard."

"What? Want a piece of our action?" Vera leered at him. "He's open to experimentation."

"I need to make sure you're aware that Ondine can hear you at night. Try to keep your nighttime activities to a minimum when she's in the house."

"That's difficult since she sleeps here and so she's always in the house. The chair's a bit restrictive."

"Then let me take her a few nights a week."

"You?" Vera barked her laugh, "Where you going to keep her? On your shite boat?"

"I've got my mother's house."

"I don't want her in that trap."

"Then try to keep your relationship with Richard where Ondine doesn't have to hear it." John held up his hands, "That's all I'm asking."

"Then you're wasting your breath." Vera went back inside, slamming the screen door in its place.

John returned to his truck, driving into the back hills around the harbor toward his mother's house. He parked just in sight of the house and made sure to approach where he could be seen from the door. His knuckles rapped the door and he waited for her to open it.

The hinges creaked a bit and he winced at the sound. Her face peeked through the opening and he waved at her. She pulled it all the way open and he slipped inside so she could shut the door and lock it securely.

"You're late." Her voice was barely a whisper but John caught it and turned to the clock.

"I know. Things didn't go well with my ex-wife."

"Ex-wife?"

"I told you I had a daughter." John went to the stove and fridge, pulling fridge open to see what was available.

"I just thought that meant you had a wife too."

"Had is the operative word in that sentence." John took a gander through the cabinets and finally found a few packages of something. "We're not on speaking terms on the best of days."

"And the worst?"

"I dodge missiles." John filled a pot and turned on the stove. He peeked over his shoulder at her, a blanket wrapped around her. The same blanket from earlier. "What about you, have you got a family?"

"I've got no one." She made a face, "No one that cares about me."

"No one?" John paused, turning away from the stove. "I pull you up in my net and you've got no one?"

She frowned, "That's right, no one."

"You've got me… for as long as you might need someone. I hope."

She shook her head, "I couldn't ask that of anyone."

"Why?" John folded his arms over his chest, "Have you got some dark secret or something that'd make it difficult?"

"We've all got those." She adjusted in the seat. "But what we learn to keep them to ourselves."

"That we do." John started at the sound of the boiling water and dumped a packet of noodles into the water. "Sorry it's simple tonight but I forgot how much I don't have here."

"You don't live here then?"

"No. I've got a flat near the harbor but I'm usually on my boat so it doesn't ten to matter." John stirred the noodles and examined his other ingredients. "Are you going to tell me?"

"Tell you what?"

"What you were doing in my net?" John turned the heat down, keeping the noodles on a simmer while he arranged the potential additives for a sauce.

"Drowning." Anna pulled the blanket closer, "I thought that was obvious when you were giving me CPR."

"I meant what you did to get in my net and make so I was giving you CPR." John pulled the noodles off, straining them into the sink before adding the other packets to give it sauce.

"Swimming." She shrugged, "Just not as well as I thought I could."

John found two bowls and some mismatched spoons, putting them on the table before dishing out the contents. "Sorry, it's not the best but it's about as good as I can do for now."

"It's enough." Anna reached for her bowl but the blanket slipped a bit. She grabbed it back, holding it in place.

John slid the bowl forward, managing a weak smile at her. "You're still wearing the blanket."

"My clothes are getting washed." She nudged her shoulder in the direction of the washer. "I don't have anything else."

"My mother left some clothes but I don't know how well they'd fit you."

"I know." She smiled, "I looked for something but for as small as I am I'm still not short enough to fit into her clothes."

"I can get you some, in town, if you need."

"That'd be nice. Thank you." She held her blanket closed with one hand and pulled the spoon to her mouth with the other. "And whatever you made is fine. It's not like I have a great option anyway."

"Thanks very much." John snorted.

For half a moment there was fear on Anna's face before she started laughing with him. "I'm sorry, that's not what I meant."

"It's fine." John waved a hand, "It's not any great feast."

"It's more than enough."

They sat in silence a moment before John spoke again, "What were you doing swimming in those waters?"

"Why does anyone ever swim?"

"In this case I'm only curious as to why you were swimming in water like this." John waved a hand out the window toward the harbor. "People die when they're beaten on those rocks."

"Your waves are relentless." She agreed, pushing her bowl away. "However I'm curious why you care."

"Because I found you in my net and brought you back to life." John shrugged, "My daughter thinks you're a selkie but I don't know many water-based creatures who sound like they're from the North."

"A lot of places have a north."

"I mean like the north of England." John smiled to himself, "I hope you didn't swim from somewhere like Liverpool."

"I'm not from Liverpool." Anna shifted in the blanket. "I'm from Scarborough."

"You didn't swim from there did you?"

"No."

"Then from where?"

"Does it matter?"

"It does to me." John shrugged, "Am I to assume you're a selkie, like my daughter thinks you are?"

"I thought we were keeping this a secret."

"My daughter thinks you're part of a story I told her. She doesn't know you're real." He smiled, "Why else would she think the woman a fisherman pulled up in his net was a selkie? Whatever a selkie is."

"It's a water-bound creature kind of like a mermaid." Anna sighed, "It's said that a selkie looks like a seal until they decide to take human form."

"Is that what you did? Come from the water in my net and turn from a seal into a woman?"

"If I did then I was escaping something." She sighed again, "I think I'd rather like to get some sleep now. If that's alright with you."

"It's fine." John stood up, pointing to a back room, "There's a-"

"A bed, I know." She kept her tight grip on her blanket. "Thank you for dinner John, and for keeping my secret."

"It's no trouble at all." John opened his hands before clapping his hands together. "It's probably the best company I've had lately."

"Then I pity the company you're forced to keep." She barely smiled, "I'm not good company."

"You've been pleasurable company thus far."

"I'll try not to disappoint in future then." Anna nodded at him, "Goodnight John."

"Goodnight."

John waited until he heard the door close and took the dishes off the table. He washed up before leaving the house. His truck rumbled and rattled back to his flat but he found the place too small and dark when he entered.

With a sigh he dropped onto his sofa.

* * *

The vibrating of his phone woke him. He cracked his neck, stretching out before glaring at the sofa. Grabbing the phone he swiped it to the side and answered while massaging at the bridge of his nose.

"Hello?"

"She's got an appointment."

"What?" John squinted at the stove clock, "It's six in the bloody morning."

"And they called me at five thirty so stop your whinging." John could hear the distinctive exhale of cigarette smoke on the other end of the line. "They said they forgot something you'll need for her. Something the system got for her."

"Like what?"

"Not new kidneys thanks to you."

John groaned, closing his eyes a moment before responding, "What is it Vera?"

"They've got her a chair."

"She's already got a chair."

"Don't you think I know she's already got a chair. It's taking up space in my fecking house so I know she's got a bloody chair." Another drag on a fag before an exhale. "It's a motorized one. They need you to pick it up for her. If you bring it round before seven thirty she could have it at school."

"You want me to go now?"

"Yes now. Why else would I call?"

"Fine, fine." John stood, "I'll take care of it."

"You're finally taking care of something."

"What's that?"

"You heard me."

"I did and it's a bloody lie. I take her to every appointment, every dialysis treatment, every-"

The line went dead and John threw his phone back onto the sofa. He grunted at it, trying to control his anger, and kicked the edge of his coffee table, sending it skidding over the floor to leave a dent in the wall. After pacing the room a moment he gathered his phone, quickly changed his clothes, and left his flat.

He almost missed her. With the hospital staff insisting on triple checking forms and signing everything in triplicate he barely made it before Ondine caught the transport to school. He lifted the chair from the back of his truck and steered it toward her, giving a short how-to lesson before she drove it into the back of the paratransit bus.

Smiling to himself he waved to her on the bus a moment before he noticed the distinct scent of nicotine. He rounded on Vera, puffing away on her fag. With a sniff he scoffed.

"You on the piss?"

"So what if I am?"

"Remember the last time you were on the piss with her in the house?"

"It's not like that anymore."

"Why, because Dick's there for you?" John pointed at the house, "I don't want that man near my daughter."

"Well it's not up to you now is it?" Vera blew a cloud of smoke in his face. "The judge gave me custody of her, not you."

"And if I called for a reevaluation?"

Vera laughed, "This is Ireland Batesy. No one in their right mind's going to give care of a crippled girl to a father who works on a fishing trawler."

"She's not and they might."

"As if." She dropped the fag and ground it into the asphalt. "You lost her because you were a fool."

"No, I lost her because I stopped being a bad parent." John shook his head, "What is it that about me wanting to be a better father for her? About wanting to clean up my act when we came back from drinking to find her passed out on the floor? When I wanted to stop hopping bars with you so I could care for our little girl laying in a hospital bed with tubes cleaning her blood for her? What was it? Tell me."

Vera blew out her last stream of smoke, "You weren't fun anymore."

"And that's more important than our little girl?" Vera shrugged and John waved a hand at her, "You always were a bitch Vera. I'm just sorry it's Ondine who's paying for me not seeing it sooner."

"It's not my fault she's the way she is Batesy. That's on you and your family." John walked back to his truck, glared out the windshield as Vera slammed her hands on the hood. "She's dying because of you."

John drove away without looking back.


	4. Siren Song

John tossed the rope onto the dock and pulled his boat in place before tying it securely. He adjusted his coveralls before walking up the wood toward the house. Even from this distance he could hear singing drifting toward him.

It was not a particularly lovely tune, though he was not singer himself, but it struck a chord in him. It was something far more emotional, resounding, and resonant than what he usually heard. It trapped him a moment, holding him in sway before he could raise his fist to finally rap his knuckles on the door.

The singing stopped and the flutter of footsteps on the boards of the floor allowed John to track Anna's movement to the front door. He cleared his throat, "It's me. You can open the door. I'm alone."

With a slide the bolt pulled back and John glimpsed a tiny sliver of Anna through the door before she opened it completely. He smiled at her but she only managed a weak twitch before her face returned to stone. John coughed, pointing back toward his boat.

"If you don't want to stay cooped up in this house all day I thought you might want to come out with me."

"Won't people see me?"

"Not where we're going." John shrugged, "The bay's a big place and we all tend to keep to ourselves out there."

"Do you?"

"Yeah." John gestured to her, "And it'd give me some time to get you some new clothes."

"How does taking me on your boat help that?"

"Well, it'd tell me your size."

"I could tell you that."

"You could…" John faltered, "Look, if you want to come I'd like the company and maybe you would too. If not then I'll be back around lunch and bring you something then."

Anna folded her arms over her chest before nodding, "Alright."

"You'll come?"

"I'll come." She shut the door and John heard her moving around inside before emerging again, holding the blanket she used the night before. "Thought I should return it to your boat."

"If you insist."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Don't you need it?"

"I've always got a stack of them there so it's not necessary."

John noted the way her mouth twitched toward a grin, "Do you use them to comfort all the women you're pulling from the water?"

"Only the ones I really like." John stepped back to allow her past him. "But I don't tend to pull anything up in my nets lately anyway so I doubt my blankets see anything better than me or my daughter."

"You take your daughter out for night fishing?"

"And star gazing." John helped Anna into the boat and she held onto the side while he untied the rope. "Ondine loves the stars. Says they're the essence of all our hopes and dreams."

"Not in my experience." Anna gave him a hand as he got into the boat and joined him in the cabin. "Stars are just distant suns making themselves seen millions of years after they already died. If that's the representation of our hopes and dreams then they're already dead."

"What a ray of sunshine." John tried to half laugh, steering the boat out of the inlet and aiming for the open water as Anna ducked under the cabin window to remain unseen.

"Experience is the best teacher."

"The most expensive and painful one teacher. My divorce attests to that."

Anna bit at her lip, using the blanket in her hands to wrap around herself again when she shivered slightly. "What drove you to marry?"

"Not what drove me to divorce?"

"That was going to be the next question."

"Well," John set the motor, aiming the boat to a stretch of unoccupied sea, before waling back over the deck to attach his net to the trawling rig. "To answer the first question, we were very passionate when we were younger and foolish."

"Everyone's foolish when they're young." Anna shrugged, ducking down almost to the floor when another boat passed within a hundred feet of them.

"We were foolish enough to think you can have unprotected sex and not get pregnant."

"Was that your daughter?"

"No," John shook his head, cranking the machinery to drop the net into the water. "Technically he would've been her older brother but Vera miscarried."

"I'm sorry."

"I was too." John came back to the cabin, dragging the net in the water behind them. "But I should've expected it when I found Vera hadn't given up drinking for the baby."

'She killed him?"

John shook his head, "We killed him. We were too young, too passionate, too passionate, and far too stupid to ever be ready for children."

"But you stayed together?"

"Grief united us for awhile. We turned to each other in a toxic way that wasn't healthy of either of us."

"Then came Ondine?"

"When we found out Vera was pregnant again I threw all the alcohol out of the house and insisted we keep clean together until she delivered." John steered the ship carefully before pulling it to a stop. "Ondine came at seven months and spent the first month of her life in the NICU as they tried to stabilize her."

"And now?"

"Her kidneys are failing because of a genetic disease that my mother also died from."

"Your mother who's house I'm staying in now?"

John nodded, cranking the net up. "Ondine wouldn't have faced that kind of failure until she was a lot older if her body had been stronger but we made it difficult for her and she's been fighting an uphill battle ever since."

"Is that what drove you to divorce?"

"In a way." John grabbed the net, tugging it over the side of the ship and dropping it. "One night I'd been out drinking with friends and I came back to find Ondine passed out on the floor. That was when we found out she needed dialysis to clean her blood. While I waited for her at hospital, Vera sobered up because she'd left Ondine on her own to go out on the piss with her friend Audrey."

"How long ago was that?"

"Ondine was… eight, no, seven. We celebrated her eighth birthday in hospital that year." John dumped the contents of his net and sighed, chucking the few flopping fish down a chute to a cooler. "I have a friend who's got a son-in-law who's a lawyer and he drew up the papers that day. I had them served to her by the end of the week and I was sleeping on my mother's sofa that same night."

"Do you regret it?"

"That depends." John readjusted the mechanism and went back to the cabin to steer to another location. "If I regret marrying Vera then that means Ondine wouldn't exist and our son wouldn't have existed."

"You'd avoid pain that way."

"Try but there's so much joy with Ondine." John smiled, more to himself than to Anna as he remembered every great moment with Ondine in a moment. "She's a spitfire, quick, and the best thing that ever happened to me. If I never married Vera I'd never have her."

"I wish my bad memories came with that kind of positive ending." Anna adjusted herself on her narrow seat. "Then you don't regret it?"

"I regret not having divorced Vera before she could use my alcoholism against me."

"Didn't the courts here side with you when it was your wife who left your daughter that night?"

"We both did. The fact that Vera agreed to stay in until I got back and didn't had nothing to do with it in the end. Besides, this is Ireland. A man with a job like mine, a history like mine… you don't get custody of your daughter after that."

"And now?"

"Nothing's changed." John eased through a choppy stretch to drop his net again and start dragging it again. "I'm the captain of a hundred-foot convertible trawler-clipper that brings in barely enough to pay for my flat, for Ondine's needs, and the barest of my own. Even if I wanted to contest the previous ruling I won't have the means to do it. Vera wiped me out in the divorce and everything since has kept me on my back."

"I'm sorry."

John shrugged, "It is what it is but thank you." He worked himself back into the cabin and squinted through the window. "If you want, given the distance we have out here you could stretch yourself out on deck a bit if you like."

Anna peeked up to check out the windows herself before shrugging. "Might as well I guess."

She took a place on deck as John started the motor, running a bit through the waves to fill his net. He blinked, hearing something over the sound of his motor, and cranked his speed down to lower the noise of the engine. Turning over his shoulder he heard the same sorrowful, contemplative song he heard from the house.

John listened a moment before gunning the engine again, taking the boat further out of the bay. Glancing at his watch he brought his boat to a halt, stilling the motor to go and crank the net up again.

This time, when he dumped it into the hold, he could barely keep all the fish from leaping out with as he tried to get them all down to the cooler. He turned to Anna, sitting nearby, and pointed at the fish. "Was this you?"

"What?"

"Just now, I heard you singing and then I raise the net and this is what I get."

"Maybe you just found a good place."

"I'm never that lucky." John directed the rest of the fish into the cooler, shaking the net for the last few, before letting it hang over the water. "Maybe we try it again yeah?"

"Another haul?"

"I've got some lobster crates to check but yeah, we'll give it another go." John rested back on his haunches a moment, "Where'd you learn to sing like that?"

"I didn't learn it. I just do it." Anna rested back on the side of the boat behind her. "It's a skill one just has."

"Not one I have. When I was little I tried singing in the church choir and the priest told me I should stop because bleating goats didn't belong with angels." Anna snorted, covering her mouth but John just smiled with her, waving a hand. "You can laugh all you want. I promise I won't mind."

"I just can't say that I've ever heard a bleating goat before."

"I don't want to make your ears bleed." John checked his watch again. "We've got time for one more run, then we check the lobster cages before going back."

"Already done for the day?"

"I've got to get Ondine from school." John dropped net again, climbing over the deck to the cabin again. "She got a new chair this morning and I don't want her wearing the motor out if she decides she's going to miss the paratranist bus again."

"She do that often?"

"She doesn't like riding it because the kids make fun of her when she rides it." John hung his head, hands gripping the wheel. "They call her a cripple. Or a retard. Or a number of other names no child should ever have to hear when they're as young as she is."

"I'm sorry."

John wiped at his eyes, "Focus on the fishing. That's what my mother always used to say. Focus on the fishing and everything else falls into place."

He steered them to another spot, Anna's almost mournful singing bringing in another load to fish and filling the lobster crates. He left a few in the crates, for a rainy day, and steered back to the house to drop Anna at the dock.

Waffling a moment John handed over a small crate with fish in it. "I don't want to assume, or impose, in any way but do you know how to cook?"

"Not well but I can."

"Can you fry fish?" She shook her head and John shrugged. "Just stick these in the cooler and I'll take care of them when I get back tonight."

"How late?"

"I've got to run these into town, get paid for them, and then get Ondine. I hope no later than six."

"But you could be later than that?"

"It's possible." John put out a hand as Anna stared at the dock. "I'll be as on time as I can. I'll even bring some clothes for you so you don't have to keep wearing those."

"That's not necessary."

"You need to wear something."

"I've got these."

"Until they dissolve off you."

Anna snorted, "I doubt that'll happen in a few days."

"Is that how long you're staying, a few days?"

She opened her mouth, as if to speak, and then closed it again. She tried again, "I don't know."

"The least I can do, as your host, is get you some clothes."

"That's very generous of you."

"Well," John made a face, squinting a bit, "I guess it's no less than any man should do when a selkie comes to visit."

"Who said I'm a selkie?"

"You haven't said differently." John waved at her, "I'll be back later. I promise."

"I'll be waiting John." She carried the crate with fish back up the dock, toward the house, and John got back in the cabin to turn his boat back to the harbor.


	5. Seal Coat

John tucked his hands into the top of his coveralls as the woman tallied up the take. She raised her eyebrows at him, marking something on her sheet, and finally tore the receipt from the pad. When she handed it over John folded it up and tucked it into his pocket.

"Quite a haul you brought in Mr. Bates."

"That it is Mrs. Hughes." John smiled at her. "Best I've had in weeks."

"Got a secret you want to share?"

"Just got a bit of magic with me today I guess." John nodded, "Good to see you Mrs. Hughes."

"And you Mr. Bates. Tell Ondine we miss her helping us weigh the catch on the weekends."

"She's been so busy with all her school work."

"She's not even eleven?" Mrs. Hughes let out a disapproving huff, "What've they got kids doing in school these days that they're so trapped in there they can't get out to actually learn?"

"I know." John agreed, "But I'll see if she wants it again this summer."

"You'd better. We could use some of her cheer in here."

John waved to Mrs. Hughes on his way out of the building and jogged to his truck. With a quick stop at the bank to exchange his check for cash, he checked his watch before driving to the school. The lot still had space at the handicapped parking and he took the tag from the glove box to dangle from his mirror.

As he got out of the truck he heard a voice call to him. John turned, smiling and walking toward an older man with gray hair. "Headmaster Carson, it's a pleasure to see you."

"Then you react better than half my students who all quake in fear of me." Headmaster Carson pursed his lips, bringing his ferocious eyebrows back enough on his face not to join his nose in making him appear more imposing. "Except your Ondine. She's a firecracker herself and I only succeed I making her laugh."

Jon winced, "I hope she's not been to much of a handful. I know she's got a bit of a mouth of her but-"

"No, no," Carson waved a hand, smiling to himself, "She's a joy to have. Bright, driven, and one of our best students in her year."

"You think she'll be ready for secondary school then?"

"More than. Though that depends on where she hopes to go."

"Ondine's always loved reading and I've always hoped she'd want to be a teacher or something but lately she's been on about being a therapist or a doctor so who knows." John turned his head as the school bell rung, "Excuse me Headmaster, I'd best go get her."

"You should." Carson nodded him along and John worked his way closer to the yard.

The deluge of children emptying from the school almost drove him back but he saw Ondine driving her chair through the crowd and splitting the sea. John laughed to himself as she steered it, waving at him. He waved back, putting his hands on his hips when she stopped right next to him

"You're ready to take over the town in that."

"How about I race you home in it?"

John turned his head up, "Wait about five minutes for this lot to clear out so I don't run over them in my effort to beat you."

"I'll wait with you then."

They chatted next to the truck until the lot cleared and John climbed into his truck. Ondine waited for him to turn the truck around, the two of them lined at the exit. John rolled down his window, calling to her over the seats.

"You say when."

"Alright, three, two, go." She started off, not speeding too quickly but fast enough that John kept up a good clip in his truck as he matched speed.

"You like the chair then?"

"It's the best thing I've ever had."

"Are you telling me health services got you a better gift than I ever did?" John exhaled his gasp of surprise, trying to hide his smile at Ondine's cackle of glee. "Better than when I got you _Harry Potter_? Better than _Artemis Fowl_?"

"Those don't let me spin circles around people."

"That's true," John conceded, turning a corner to follow Ondine. "But I've got a message for you from Mrs. Hughes."

"Have you?"

"She wants you to come back and work there on the weekends. Says her work's just too dismal without you there to cheer her up."

"Maybe this weekend I can go and read to her while she works."

"What're you reading now then?"

"Books on selkies."

John paused, "Why's that?"

"Because your story yesterday."

"Was it that interesting?"

"You're already a fisherman Da, don't fish for compliments too." Ondine pulled to a stop at a light. "Is there more to it?"

"More to what?"

"The story about your fisherman and the selkie?"

"Now that you mention it," John checked traffic before pulling forward again, "She sings."

"The selkie?"

"Who else?"

"Maybe your fisherman was a girl and you're being progressive."

"Progressive?"

"What if your selkie was a girl and the fisherman was a woman and they fell in love?"

"What if the selkie was a man and the fisherman was a fisherwoman?"

"Male selkies don't leave the water."

"I thought we were being progressive?" John teased, "And who said anything about love?"

"Isn't that how all fairytales end? Like _the Little Mermaid_ or something."

"Maybe I should let the telly rot your brain a little more so you're not so smart." John laughed, "But the fisherman pulled the woman-"

"Selkie."

"Selkie, in his nets and they rode on his boat. He took her home and helped her recover some of her strength but her memory was gone."

"That's what happens when she gives up her seal coat."

"Seal coat?"

"The skin she sheds when she walks on land as a woman." Ondine crossed in front of his truck and over to the other side as they took the little hill down to her neighborhood. "If she buries the seal coat she can stay for seven years."

"Can she now?"

"If she cries her three tears then she stays with the fisherman forever."

"The selkie didn't cry for him yet but she did go out fishing with him."

"And that's when she sang?"

"That's right. A song he'd never heard before but suddenly all of his nets filled with fish and he hauled it all into his boat until it nearly split."

Ondine waited a moment, face scrunched as if thinking hard. John parked the truck, getting out to walk beside her through the warren of houses to her front door. "You know, she'd have to sing."

"Why's that?"

"It's how you communicate underwater. You can't talk down there, see, so you'd have to sing to be heard and the water carries it."

"So she sang the fish into his nets?"

"They'd trust it because she's a creature of the sea like them."

"Who's a creature of the sea?" Both Ondine and John looked up as a wiry man, with a fag hanging from the side of his mouth, came out of the house in a wife-beater and trousers with no shoes.

"Just a story." Ondine responded, "Is Mam home?"

"She's at work. Won't be back until six." The man dragged on his fag, "How're you doing Johnny?"

"Well enough. How about you Richard? You doing well?"

Richard shrugged, "It's been alright."

"How's your newspaper?"

"We're making it all work."

"Huh." John bit the inside of his cheek before turning to Ondine. "Do you want me to stay until your Mum gets back?"

"It's alright. I've got loads of school work to do."

"You sure?" Ondine nodded and John leaned down to kiss her head, "I'll see you later yeah?"

"I'll call you if I get stuck on my maths."

"I'll keep my mobile close." John gave Richard a curt nod, "Richard."

"Johnny."

John went to say something but bit back on his tongue, keeping it to himself. He waved to Ondine before he turned the corner to head back to his truck.

* * *

She tapped her fingers against the armrest of her chair before flipping the cover to check the battery. Turning the chair in place she aimed for the exit. It rumbled over the pavement while the whirring of the motor kept its own sounds to undercut the noise from driving it.

Keeping a close watch on the old, paint-chipped truck she followed its weave through town. When it stopped in front of a clothing store she eased forward enough to peek in the window. Her eyebrow went up when her father perused the women's section.

His face folded in confusion as he judged the sizes before pulling a few things down. The choices for underthings sent a streak of red over his cheeks and neck but he snatched a few options, folding them in the other clothes. She laughed to herself when he reached the register and fumbled over his money in a hurry to buy the items.

Whatever embarrassment he felt was such that he did not even see her when he went back to his truck, speeding away. But she tailed him through town, keeping just far enough back so he did not see her but close enough to follow his progress. When he wove into the hills she guessed his final destination, pumping her fist when he pulled down the gully where a small house glowed with evening light.

From her perch on the little hill she watched him exit the truck, carrying the bag of clothes, and knock on the door. The door opened and a short woman came out. He handed over the bag and followed the woman into the house.

"Curiouser and curiouser." She smiled to herself. "Da's got himself a selkie."


	6. Water Dancer

John pulled the fish off the grill, taking whiff of the lemon-smoked smell. "Few things smell as good as this does when done right."

"When's that then?" John gaped and caught Anna's half smile.

Shaking his tongs at her he tried to sound serious, "It's not nice to poke fun at a man cooking you dinner."

"Or giving me a place to stay." She acknowledged, holding the plate up for the fish. "But I do it anyway."

"I guess there's a personality in there then."

"You'll have to wait and see." She dug another two plates from a cupboard and John risked a moment to look over the place.

"You've made it look nice again."

"It was just some dusting." Anna set the plates at the table, pulling utensils loose from a drawer. "A little bit of love mends a lot."

"It does." John sighed, "Just not as much as you wish it would."

"Speaking from personal experience?"

"Maybe. You'll have to guess."

"Whenever someone drops a leading comment like that they are." Anna took her seat as John joined her, the plate of smoked fish soon set between them on the table. "We don't make hints like that unless we're writing Facebook posts or trying to see if someone cares enough to ask us for more details."

"They have Facebook in the ocean do they?"

Anna only gave a half smile to match her shrug, taking her fork and knife to pull one of the fish toward her before ladling a helping of the green beans and potatoes on her plate before passing them over. "Who said this was my first time on land?"

"You certainly haven't."

"And you're dodging the implied question."

"I'm more direct than that."

"Alright." Anna folded her arms on the table, looking at him, "What'd you mean when you said that you wished love could mend more than it does?"

"In this case, being that we're in my deceased mother's house," John waved his fork around them, "I wish I could've stopped her illness."

"What'd she have?"

"Hereditary kidney failure that didn't get noticed until she got a bad bout of mono last year and her spleen enlarged. When they operated on it they noticed her kidneys are practically destroyed and she only lived three months after that."

"No one noticed?"

"My mother'd been bound to a chair for a long time before that and her whole family had it before she did so she didn't think twice about it." John sighed, "I got tested but I don't have it."

"Does anyone else?"

"Ondine." John set down his utensils, "She'd been sick for a long time before that but my ex-wife and I thought it was just shitty luck. When Mam got sick I finally put two and two together. The Doctor tested Ondine and we found the cause."

"Genetics."

"My ex-wife puts it more simply than that." John cut into his fish with more force than necessary, "She says it's all my fault and blames me for it all."

"Blame is how some people deal with pain."

"Don't I know it." John shook his head, "Ondine gets dialysis twice a week as we wait for someone to die and leave her their perfectly effective kidneys before hers give out completely."

"Do you have much hope?"

"We're poor, we live in Ireland, and she's not exactly high on anyone's priority list but mine so, not really no."

Anna stayed silent a moment, "Did you know that selkies are believed to have a wish to give anyone they want."

"Are they?"

Anna nodded, "It's part of the magic they have. They can give the wish for someone to use for whatever they want."

"I thought that was genies."

"There are a lot of creatures with magic."

"Seeing as you already changed from a seal to a woman I'd say tht's magic enough."

She only shrugged, "Magic comes in many forms John."

"Is this the moment you're about to tell me that whatever we love we're fated to lose?"

"No."

"Good. I was afraid that maybe wherever you were before here had one too many fortune cookies."

"I don't really like takeaway Chinese food."

"That makes two of us. Backs me up completely."

Anna tried to stifle her snort before she giggled uncontrollably behind her napkin. John joined her, leaning back to give his chortle enough breathing space before wiping his thumbs at his eyes. They stared at one another before John cleared his throat to try and speak again.

"I hope I didn't offend any sensibilities."

"I'm not that delicate."

"My Mam always taught me to speak respectfully in the presence of a lady."

"Well I'm not a lady and I don't pretend to be."

John stopped, studying her face. "You're a lady to me and I've never met a finer one."

"Then my question is what kind of women have you met?" Anna kept her face serious, focus entirely on her food. "And I warn you, you don't know anything about me that would give you that kind of opinion of me."

"You cleaned my mother's house."

"I'm staying here."

"You didn't have to do it."

"It doesn't make me a lady." Anna finally faced him again, "I'm not the person you want to think I am."

"And who's that?"

"What?"

"Who is this person you're convinced I wouldn't like?" John opened his hands, "Because you've told me nothing abut yourself."

"That's for the best."

"Shouldn't that be for me to decide?"

"It's for me to decide because it's my life and I prefer you stay out of it." She snapped at him and retreated, fretting her hands up to her mouth and then back down before rubbing over her arms in a motion for self-comfort. "I'm sorry, that was ungrateful and rude."

"Doesn't mean you weren't right." John conceded, "It's not my business who you really are and I'm sorry."

"It'd best we don't talk about me anymore."

"What if someone's looking for you?"

"No one who cares about me is and those who are I don't care about."

"No family then?" Anna shook her head, "Then you don't think anyone needs to know you're alive?"

"It's better, for everyone who knew me as I was to think I'm dead now and I prefer it that way." She gave a self-depreciating snort, "I'd like to think of who I was being dead. Gives me a new start."

"Little hard to do that without an identity."

"People do it all the time."

"Maybe they shouldn't." John went to eat more but put his utensils down. "Do you want to go night fishing?"

"What?"

"Talk in this house always feels heavy for me."

"Why?"

"I've had too many deep conversations here."

Anna narrowed her eyes, "Did your mother die in this house?" John nodded, closing his eyes, "Where?"

"She died in her chair as I rocked her to sleep." John opened his eyes, blinking past the tears gathering at the edges of his eyes to point, "She hadn't left that chair in hours while I read her favorite book to her."

"What book?"

" _Wuthering Heights_." John laughed a little, "She'd just finished the audiobook the day before but insisted she might've missed something in the melodic Yorkshire tones."

"What?"

"The reader, for the audiobook, was a Yorkshire actress she loved from some period drama."

"And yours?"

John blinked, "What?"

"Your favorite book, what is it?"

"Oh," John coughed, "I thought you were asking if I liked the actress."

"Do you?"

"I think she's got a lot of skill."

"I do too." John widened his eyes and she waved it off, "Even if I was born in the sea I wasn't born under a rock."

"Obviously not."

"You're avoiding the question again."

"I forgot what it was."

"What's your favorite book?"

John went to answer but stopped himself, "On one condition."

"What's that?"

"You tell me something true about yourself. It doesn't have to be soul searching or deep just true. Something that's not shrouded in mystery."

Anna sat back, almost shrinking into her chair before she met his eyes with unflinching honesty. "Until I met you I thought my father was the last good man on the face of this earth and I lost him when I was nine."

John kept the memory of her eyes in that moment forever burned in his memory. The vulnerability, the trust, and the rawness to them broke his heart. With a nod John spoke.

"My favorite book is _Sonnets from the Portuguese_ and I used one of those poems for my wedding vows."

"Which one?"

"Forty-three." John closed his eyes and recited from memory, " _I love thee to the depth and breadth and height/My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight/For the ends of being and ideal grace. /I love thee to the level of every day's/Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight. /I love thee freely, as men strive for right. /I love thee purely, as they turn from praise._ "

"That's beautiful."

"And a lie." John stood, "I didn't love her that long."

"But you thought you did."

"Which only makes it worse." He motioned to the door, "Do you want to come?"

Anna took a deep breath and shook her head, "I don't think that's wise."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't trust the emotions I have at the moment." Anna stood, "I don't know what could happen out there if I act on what I'm thinking."

"What are you thinking?"

Anna tipped her head back to appraise him, "That I'd like nothing more than to kiss you right now."

"Why don't you?"

"Because I don't know why I'd do it."

John stepped toward her and both of them caught their breath when they realized how close they actually were. He reached out a hand, almost afraid to touch her, and gently grazed his fingers down her arm before bringing her hand up to hold its limpness in his hand. Her fingers tightened to hold more securely and he caressed her cheek with his other hand.

They rocked in silence a moment before he whispered, "I know why I'd do it."

"Why?"

"To thank you."

Anna's eyes widened, "Thank me?"

"You make me feel again. Something I haven't felt in a long time and it feels good to feel as deeply as I do just talking with you."

"What do you feel?" Her voice barely rose louder than a whisper but John heard it.

"Worthwhile."

She fingers tightened in his hold and her other hand snaked up to grasp the back of his neck to better drag his lips to hers. There was no rush to it once their lips met. Just a moment when both realized their thoughts were now reality before sinking into the display of affection.

John held himself back, letting Anna lead what she started, and only responding to her motions. She pulled back and he did not press forward, waiting. Her eyes opened to stare at him and John wondered if his breathing sounded as loud to her as it did echoing in his ears.

"I'm sorry."

"No," John held tightly to her hand, shaking his head a bit more emphatically than strictly necessary. "Don't be sorry for that."

"I just couldn't let you go after what you said."

"I didn't want you to." John ran his thumb over her cheekbone. "Is that still a 'no' to night fishing?"

"I think so." Anna turned her face to kiss his palm. "As much as I think I'd enjoy it, we're not in the right mind to be alone with one another on a rocking boat in the middle of the night."

"We're alone in a house now."

"But in a moment you'll come to your senses and realize you've got other responsibilities that wouldn't get done if you continued the thought right behind your eyes right now." John went to duck his head but she stopped him, shaking hers. "I'm not embarrassed by it and you shouldn't be either."

"I'm not embarrassed. I'm overwhelmed."

"Why?"

"Because my life's not been very happy and for some reason, someone, thought I deserved to meet you."

Anna shook her head, "Don't say that."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm not the angel you seem to think I am." Anna waved a hand at the table, "I'll take care of this."

"That doesn't seem right."

"You cooked so I can clean up since you've got to get home. I'm sure you've got an early morning."

"I do." John bit his lip, "Could I kiss you again, before I leave?"

"I'd be a little upset if you didn't."

John guided his lips to hers, moving slowly for a moment before pulling away. "Goodnight Anna."

"Goodnight John."

* * *

Ondine waited until her father's boat pulled away from the dock before guiding her chair down the little rise. The woman from the night before left the house after that, walking to the edge of the inlet. She stopped there, testing the water with a toe before she pulled the dress over her head. Even from a distance Ondine could see her exhale before the woman made a shallow dive forward.

She was lost from sight, stroking underwater for a few seconds before breaking the surface. Ondine squinted, trying to see more but the distance was too great for the detail she wanted. Her hand adjusted the gearshift on her chair and aimed it toward the secluded beach. It bumped over the stone bridge, clattering over the larger rocks as she guided her chair to the edge of the water.

There Ondine waited for the woman's head to emerge again. She leaned back in her chair, pushing the loose strands of hair that flew in her face when the wind whipped through the canyon to send large ripples off the shallow water to create waves at the opening of the inlet. In the midst of blowing an errant strand out of her mouth Ondine saw the woman's head break silently out of the water just three meters from her.

"I knew it wasn't a story." She grinned and the woman's brow furrowed in confusion, her head coming fully out of the water as she walked toward where Ondine waited on the beach.

"What story?"

"The one Da was telling me about a fisherman catching someone in his net."

"Who says I got caught in a net?"

""How else would you get here?"

The woman shrugged, coming fully out of the water to grab her dress. "Maybe I swam here."

"But if you swam here you wouldn't be staying in my gran's house."

"How'd you know I'm staying there?"

"I saw you, last night." Ondine pointed to her father's truck, "I followed him after he got me from school yesterday and saw him go to the shop where he bought that dress and those knickers."

The woman looked down, giving an impressed appraisal, "They're not bad. He's got good taste."

"I guess he had to replace your clam shell bra and seaweed knickers."

The woman crouched in front of Ondine's chair so they were eye-to-eye. "And why would he have to do that?"

"If you're a selkie then you don't need human clothes underwater. It'd just slow you down when you try to swim away."

"Then wouldn't I swim faster naked?"

"You're the selkie, you tell me."

The woman smiled, "Your father told me you're smart."

"What else did he tell you?"

"That you need this chair because your kidneys are failing." The woman looked to the water and then turned back to Ondine, "Have you tried swimming?"

"I've never had lessons and there's no pool in town. Ma thinks it's a waste of time and doesn't want me spending too much time with Da."

"Well I can teach you a few things now if you want. That way your Mum doesn't have to worry about you being with your Dad and you can get lessons."

"I don't have a swimsuit."

The woman stepped back, hanging her dress on the handles on the back of Ondine's chair, "Neither do I."

"Just strip down to my pants then?"

"I can find your something in the house if you come with me." The woman grabbed her dress again, leading the way up the pebbled beach to the house.

When they reached the door she gave Ondine a hand out of her chair, offering her an arm. Ondine used it to get inside the house, walking slowly to get her legs under her until she took a chair. Once there she sat down, laughing a bit to cover the shake in her body. "I don't walk much."

"I wouldn't think you should but I'm not a doctor." The woman dug around in a bag and pulled something out, "You can wear this."

"Thank you." Ondine worked out of her skirt and shirt to pull the larger shirt over herself. "This was my gran's."

"Then it'll be even more special then." The woman offered her hand again, holding two towels in the other. "Ready Ondine?"

"What do I call you?" Ondine took her hand, pulling herself up and setting their slow pace back to the water.

"Anna."

"That's not very French."

Anna laughed, "Who said I was French?"

"Selkies are French."

"They're also Scottish and I don't sound like that either."

"I know." Ondine laughed before shrieking at the cold water. "That's freezing."

"Good for the blood." Anna encouraged, walking in front of Ondine while holding her hands. "And in a moment your body'll acclimate and you won't notice."

"I think I will." Ondine shivered but followed Anna further into the water. "Were you born in the water?"

"What do you think?" Anna kept her pace even, tugging when Ondine stuttered in her steps.

"Selkies are seal until they shed their seal coat. Then they come on land and bury their seal coat."

"Is that so?"

"You have to, so you can stay seven years."

"Who says I want to stay seven years?"

"Wouldn't you?" Ondine stumbled but Anna caught her. "If you already came all this way wouldn't you want to stay?"

"Depends on whether or not I like it." Anna held Ondine steady as she tried to balance on her tiptoes in the water. "Alright, I'm going to put one hand on your back and you're just going to float."

"I'll sink! I'm too heavy."

"You're nothing but a feather." Anna soothed, "See, I can lift you."

With her hand at Ondine's back she lifted, holding her hand and waiting for Ondine to relax in the water. After a moment Ondine extended her arms, holding herself as straight as possible in the easy waves. Anna moved her hand to adjust Ondine's head and then only held her hand while stepping back.

"Now just breathe. Feel the water under you and relax."

"That's it? I'm swimming?"

"No." Anna chuckled, "You're floating right now. It's important when you get tired to float to help you regain your strength."

"Really?"

"Yes." Anna shrugged a shoulder, "It's also very calming. You feel at one with the water."

"You do." Ondine closed her eyes a moment but forgot to keep her stomach straight. Her body bent and her head went under the water. She thrashed, water going into her mouth and something tangling on her ankle.

Jerking out of the water Ondine inhaled water and air before coughing. Hands helped her up, holding her out of the water while trying to speak to her. Whatever latched onto Ondine's ankle remained there and she tried to get free, the hands running down her leg to help her.

"Ondine, Ondine, it's alright. It's just a strap." But when Ondine blinked the water from her eyes, finally getting air past her water-scraped lungs, she saw Anna's expression.

"What is it?"

"I-" Anna just stared at the brown mass in her other hand.

"It's your seal coat." Ondine pointed at it, pulling Anna toward shore. "We've got to bury it."

"What?"

"If you bury it then you can stay seven years but if not then you've got to put it back on and return to your selkie husband."

Anna followed the tug of Ondine's hand, tripping after her up the beach before following her around the house to a little conservatory. Ondine pried the doors open and pointed to a pile of dirt.

"We bury it there and it'll be our secret."

Anna looked from the dripping brown material to Ondine and then to the mound of dirt before nodding. "Alright. We'll bury it."

Between the two of them they tore into the dirt with bare hands, making a hole big enough for the 'seal coat' and covered it back up. Ondine stepped back, her legs shaking slightly but not as much as Anna's hands. Ondine grabbed her hands, holding them tightly in hers.

"We won't tell anyone. It'll be our secret."

Anna took a deep breath before squeezing Ondine's hands. "Our secret." She tugged Ondine after her, "Come on."

"Where?"

"You haven't finished learning to swim." Anna helped her back down the beach and into the water. "We'll make you a water dancer yet."


	7. Night Fishing

John guided the boat back to the dock, squinting at the shapes in the water before he recognized the mechanized chair on the beach. The boat bumped the side of the dock and he shut off the motor before leaping the side to tie it into position. Without the motor to drown out the noise he could hear the giggling squeals of his daughter and the lovely, lilting laugh of Anna as they splashed together in the cold water.

Ondine saw him first, waving enthusiastically from her perch in Anna's arms. Anna turned over her shoulder, a smaller smile blooming over her face. They matched pace as John walked to the dock back to the beach and Anna deposited Ondine near a towel. John joined them as Anna finished wrapping the towel around Ondine and grabbed for her own.

He beat her to it, enfolding her in the fabric, and faced her. Anna's breath caught and John forced a swallow past the tightening in his chest. A giggle from Ondine brought him back to the present and John bent to scoop her off the ground.

"And does your mother know where you are?" He nuzzled into her neck and she batted him away.

"She's been with Dick all day and won't be back until late."

"Was she leaving you alone?" John's voice hardened, "I've told her-"

"I told her I'd be with a friend because it's the weekend."

John frowned, "She didn't question that?"

"I do have friends you know."

"I know."

"Then it's not so hard to believe." Ondine nodded toward the house, "Are we going to chat out here all evening because I'm freezing?"

"Sometimes," John adjusted his hold on her, "I forget you're only eleven."

He turned to see Anna, head bent over to wring out her hair, "I guess introductions aren't really necessary at this point."

"She made her introduction this morning." Anna held the towel over her shoulders, John noting her bare legs and trying not to think of her dripping wet in only her underwear. "And you're right, she's a bit of a spitfire."

"Da, have you been talking about me behind my back?" Ondine interjected and John laughed.

"If I told you about her don't you think I told her about you?"

They went back to the house, John waiting outside the bathroom as Ondine changed out of the sopping shirt and into her clothes. Anna wrapped herself in a blanket and sat in the rocking chair, using her toe on the floor to set an easy pace that filled the quiet between them with the creak of the wood. John stepped away from the bathroom door, jerking his thumb toward it.

"Sorry you ended up as impromptu babysitter for her."

"I'm not. The company was good for me." Anna nodded at the door, "She's an incredible girl."

"Yes she is." John sat on the edge of the sofa, as near to Anna as he dared. "Did you teach her to swim?"

"I thought it might relax her and it's a low impact sport." Anna frowned, "Did I do something wrong?"

"No," John waved a hand, "No, I'm grateful to you. I've wanted to teach her for a long time but her mother refuses."

"Ondine said as much." Anna lowered her voice, "Is her mother afraid of the water?"

John shook his head. "Vera and I met on a boat and she was always a good swimmer."

"Then why won't she let Ondine learn?"

"She's afraid if Ondine learns to swim then she'll want to be a fisherman like me." John sighed, "Vera knows Ondine's always loved the water, loved going out trawling with me, and that the smell of the sea is practically in the girl's blood but she doesn't want her to have anything to do with that life."

"Then what does she want for her?"

"Not to die." John's gaze slid off Anna, losing focus on some distant object as he spoke. "For as much as Vera and I hate one another, for as much as I think she's a bad influence on Ondine, I truly think that deep down Vera wants to be a good mother to her. She just doesn't know how."

"I thought motherhood was instinctual."

"For some, not all."

"And she doesn't try?"

"Most of what she does is the bare minimum because I think she sees Ondine as more of a weapon against me."

"That's cruel."

"It's all Vera knows." John stood at the sound of the latch clicking on the bathroom door. "Are you ready?"

"Mostly dry I think." Ondine's slow gait took her toward Anna's chair. "Thank you for teaching me to swim."

"Thank you for braving the cold water with me." Anna stood, pausing a moment until Ondine wrapped her arms around her. Anna returned the hug and placed a kiss on Ondine's cheek. "You're an incredible girl."

As Ondine pulled back she felt her face, "Was that a tear?"

"I guess you'll have to wait and see." Anna gripped the blanket tighter, making her way into the bathroom. "I hope I see you again soon Ondine."

John waited for the door to close before scooping Ondine into his arms. "I hope you don't find this too undignified."

"You always say I'm light as a feather."

"You are." John carried her to the truck, securing her with the seatbelt before going back for her chair. He struggled a bit to get the larger contraption into the bed and secured it with loose bungee cords. With a shake of his head he joined her in the cab. "That thing's not as easy as your other chair."

"Yeah but I never could've gotten here in my other chair now could I?"

"We actually need to talk about that."

"I hope you're not about to lecture me on riding it all the way out here on my own."

John smiled over at her, keeping his eyes on the road. "Oh, so you know what I'm going to say. Good, saves me the trouble."

"Da," She whined but John held firm.

"I know it's freedom and I know you love it but I can't risk the battery on that thing running out while you're on some tiny, winding road and some berk's joyriding."

"That's worst-case scenario."

"Then here's a small-case scenario." John stopped at a light, "What if your Mum finds out you lied to her?"

"You're not going to tell her are you?"

"And have her thinking I put you up to it, are you mad?" John shook his head, "Brave as I am, I'm not stupid."

"Then it's our secret?"

"Just like Anna's our secret."

Ondine nodded, "Mam wouldn't want to know you've got yourself a girlfriend."

"Anna's not my girlfriend."

"She's living in Gran's house and wearing clothes you bought her."

John's eyes widened and he only turned back to the road at the honk of the horn urging him to go at the green. "What'd you know about that?"

"I followed you home yesterday."

"Ondine Annabelle Bates you did not."

"I did." She grinned, "I watched you size out her clothes and buy them for her."

"She only had the dress I fished her from the bay in."

"Doesn't matter. You buy a woman clothes and she's yours forever."

"She's not property, Ondine."

"And she's not blind either." Ondine teased, "I saw the way she looked at you. She's interested in you."

"She's just being grateful."

"I doubt gratitude is what people feel when they smile like that."

John shook his head, "I need to put blocks on what you can watch on the telly."

"It's not the telly you should worry about Da. It's the internet."

"That too then." John pulled into a space and stopped the truck. "I'll have a talk with your Mum about your internet access."

"She'll never block it. It's how she and Dick watch their porn."

"And how do you know anything about that?"

Ondine shrugged, "Because Mam told me not to go on her computer for any reason and Dick always uses his with the door closed."

"Then I really need to speak with her."

John got out of the truck and pulled Ondine's chair free of the bed. He wheeled it over to her door and helped Ondine get adjusted before following her to her front door. He waited there as Ondine took out her key and only turned at the sound of obnoxious laughter floating toward them.

Vera and Richard swayed against one another, singing drunkenly of-key as they came through the gate toward the house. John stepped to the side to avoid Richard when he tried to catch Vera in her stumble. But the motion only had the three of them closer together when Vera finally righted herself.

Her eyes glazed and then focused John. Her finger jabbed toward him and he dodged the sharp nail while turning away from the alcohol infused breath. "What are you doing here?"

"Just bringing Ondine home."

"Home from where?"

"Her friend's house." John pointed to the road. "I was coming back from the harbor and saw her driving along. Thought it wouldn't be out of the ordinary for a father to drive his daughter home."

"Who said she needed your help?"

"Do I need an invitation?"

"I could get a judge to say you do."

John closed in on Vera, "I'd like to see you try."

"Ma!" Ondine's voice broke through the ice between them. "I didn't want to run out my battery so I asked him for a lift."

"You don't need his help Ondine." Vera bent toward her daughter, shooting an ugly expression at John over her shoulder. "Nobody needs him."

John clenched his jaw, "I'll see you tomorrow Ondine."

"We still going fishing then?"

"That's the plan." John edged away from Richard, standing like a silent statue. "Unless your mother wants to object to the scheduled visits now."

"Don't take that tone with me or I will."

John shook his head, "Sober up Vera."

"And be no fun like you?" Vera cracked a scathing laugh. "I don't think so."

"Goodnight Ondine." John bent to kiss Ondine's head, "I'll pick you up tomorrow at noon yeah?"

"Yeah." She waved him off, "I'll be fine until then."

He nodded to her, keeping his expression as bland as he could at Vera, and went back to his truck. The lanes were quiet and empty all the way back to his mother's house and he parked in the space lit by the light from the house. A smile crept toward his lips as he knocked on the door.

Anna opened it, allowing him inside. He noted her hair was up, darker than normal as if still wet from a shower, and a fresh scent permeated the house. She stood near him, her hands fidgeting a bit.

"Did Ondine get back alright?"

"Yeah, she's fine." John pointed toward the table, "Did you eat?"

"No," Anna shook her head, "I don't like eating before I go out on a boat."

John frowned, "Are you going out on a boat."

Her eyes widened and she hurried to backtrack her statement. "I'm sorry, I assumed the offer for night fishing was ongoing."

"Oh," John's eyebrows rose and he sent his fingers through his hair. "I hadn't planned on it but since I didn't have much in the way of a haul today I guess we could go out now."

"Only if you want to-"

"I don't want to assume-"

"I wouldn't want to impose if-"

"I didn't-" John laughed and Anna returned it with a nervous giggle. "I guess that's a yes, then?"

"I'd like that, yes."

John gathered himself and opened his arm toward the door, "Then after you."

They walked the dock together, chatting about the conditions of the evening, and John helped Anna board the boat. He untied it from the dock, throwing the rope up before jumping to catch the side and pull himself after it. Thumping on board he scooted around Anna to start the motor and steer the boat out of the inlet.

With the lights overhead on and the sun setting, the glow over the water drew John to take a deep breath. That breath hitched as Anna joined him, far more at ease than she had been their first time on the boat. The steady humming beat of the boat's motor carried them farther out of the bay and toward the open water.

"Care to take a turn?" John nodded at the wheel when Anna frowned in confusion. "If you know how to steer a car then it's a breeze."

"I think I can manage to keep us on course." Anna slipped between him and the wheel, John closing his eyes a moment at the feel of her pressed to his chest before hurrying to step back. "What do I aim for? There aren't lines here to guide me."

John pointed his arm over her shoulder, head close to hers as he guided her eye line. "There's a light just there, that's the lighthouse. Keep that in your left peripheral vision and we'll be just fine."

Anna turned her head toward him and their eyes met a moment. "And what do I keep the to the right?"

"That dark mass there." John slipped back, swallowing hard. "It's the edge of the bay and we don't want to get too close or we'll sink ourselves."

"I'll bear that in mind."

He left her in the cabin, working back to start up the nets and set them to drag behind the boat. When it all settled he returned to the cabin and instructed her how to slow their speed, to work through the currents, and manage their course. She took to it easily and soon they glided through the water until the motor on the net whined.

John set it to reel in and coughed his own laugh when the net spilled a load of fish in the holding tank. He pivoted to face the cabin and met Anna's grin. Pointing a finger at her he spoke, "You're good luck to me."

"I'm just filling in."

"Filling in for what?" John called over the nose as he readjusted the net and cast it behind the boat again.

"Ondine I think." She pulled the wheel and John joined her in the cabin. He stopped the motor and Anna faced him. "I thought we were fishing."

"Why'd you say Ondine's my good luck?"

Anna shrugged, "I've watched your face when you talk about her. I saw you when you held her. She's your world, John. She's what drives you to work as hard as you do. To sacrifice what you do. She's your good luck."

John could not say what possessed him but in that moment he found himself compelled to kiss her. Her hands came off the wheel and interlaced behind his head, holding him close as their lips worked over one another. They fumbled a moment, trying to find a groove, and John managed to drop anchor to keep them slowly rolling in place.

She broke the kiss first, her breathing elevated and her eyes shining in the dim glow from the boat lights. His thumb stroked over her cheekbone and Anna smiled at him. "If you want to kiss me again John, I won't say no."

"I want to do more than that Anna."

"Then why don't you?"

"Because I've known you for all of three days."

"That's all it took for Jesus to rise from the dead."

John laughed a little, smoothing his fingers down a strand of her hair. "I don't want to take advantage of you."

"You wouldn't be." Anna ran one of her fingers over his lips, her eyes focused there while her other hand gripped in the fabric of his jumper. "Not if I want you to."

"You deserve something better than the small cabin of this boat."

"I think it's exactly what we both deserve right now." Her lips came close to his, "Would you please love me John?"

After such an endearing plea it was all John could do not to immediately devour her. But he restrained himself. Barely.

Guiding her down the steep steps he flipped one of the switches to give a low light to the cabin. A slight musty scent betrayed the age of the boat but Anna only responded by tugging on her hand to bring his face back to her. Her fingers spread over his cheeks, the sensation fluttering John's eyelids, and her mouth met his again.

Perhaps it was the undying fisherman in him, but John wondered if the slow rock of the boat set the speed for their actions. If his gentle caress of her face and hair allowed her the freedom to release his coveralls. Or if it was her soft sighs that had them both shedding their shoes.

His coveralls hit the floor and soon his fingers, so dexterous in their manipulation of nets and needles, fumbled over the fabric of her long-sleeved shirt. Her fingers betrayed whatever nerves she had when they skittered over his jumper, catching in the fabric and clutching there when they rocked on the waves, until she slipped her hands beneath it. John moaned when the sensation of her fingers traced over his thin undershirt and he guided her closer to him.

Their lips met in a continuing dance, almost inseparable, while they tried to keep pace with their clothing. But his height and the low ceiling proved their enemy. John pivoted around Anna and sat on the edge of the bunk so she could expose his tight shirt after freeing him from the jumper. He found the edge of her trousers and slid his rough fingers over the skin of her hips toward her back, guided by the hissing whisper she released on contact.

John would be hard pressed to say whose shirt hit the floor first but soon his hands glided over her exposed stomach and back, reveling in the feel of her silky skin under the pads of his fingers. Her fingers teased between the gentle exploration of his chest and the grate of her nails against his skin. Sucking air through his teeth John broke their kiss and took his lips to her neck.

One of Anna's hands surrendered to the motion, holding the back of John's head to keep his attentions dedicated to her skin while her other hand swept over his shoulders. He used a hand at her back to hold her in place while he trailed his lips lower, following the lines of her collarbones and the dip toward her breasts, and soon found himself playing over the edge of her breasts where they escaped the confines of her bra. With a look and one hand he worked the catch on her bra and Anna ricked a second to shed it and leave them both topless in the cabin of his boat.

Had the evening gone no further John knew he could die a happy man. His hands quivered when they brushed over her breasts but took courage when Anna sighed. Easing over them John experimented with kneading massages, working deeper or faster when Anna keened and whimpered under his attentions, and eventually set his lips to working there in tandem with his hands.

It might have been some time but John followed his instincts and spread his legs so Anna could stand between them. The movement brought her close enough that he barely had to lean to take a nipple in his mouth. Her fingers raked in his hair, digging for purchase in his scalp when he ringed it with his tongue. And she cried out what sounded like his name when he operated in sync with his hands at her other breast. Even switching sides to give the same attention to the other breast seemed as natural as breathing.

It was Anna that pulled him away but she met his frown with a furious kiss that took over his mouth. She pushed him back on the bunk and he fell to the hard mattress as her fingers opened his belt. With a handful of good yanks she removed his trousers, socks, and boxers to expose him to her. And he could hardly believe his eyes when she stripped her own jeans and knickers to leave her as bare as the day she was born.

Their eyes met and Anna crawled onto the bed. A rock of the boat unsteadied her and John reached up to stop her falling over. They both managed a laugh, ease returning despite their nerves, and Anna settled over him.

She restarted their kiss, one of her hands on the mattress next to his head, while the other held herself to him by gripping the back of his neck. John adjusted his position to set Anna's back against the mattress and waited for her. Her easy breathing encouraged him to continue and his knees settled on either side of her hips as he started their kiss again.

Anna returned it with a quiet confidence that allowed John to sculpt down her undulating body to the apex of her thighs. She gasped slightly and he paused, their eyes meeting again. He waited for her to open her legs and he moved between them but remained over her.

Her fingers guided him back to her mouth while her other hand wrapped over his wrist. The shudder that ran through them both had John working a gentle finger over her folds. But the wetness he found there only encouraged him to continue. She writhed under him, leading his motions to what she wanted, and soon John moved his lips from hers to her neck so he could hear her when her whimpers and cries took over the sounds of the water.

When he slipped a finger inside her Anna bucked on the bunk. John worked his lips over her skin, retracing his earlier path to her breasts, and soon had her crying out his name when he met her nipple while working another finger inside her. The nerves under his fingers and thumb left her breathing ragged and her fingers raking furrows over his shoulders. But he exulted in every prick of pain to hear her voice hit high notes.

The stranglehold of her inner muscles over his fingers signaled her end and John massaged himself free. Her closed eyes and her thrown back head painted the grin over his face and he adjusted in an attempt to relieve a bit of pressure. But she almost destroyed his restraint when her hand blindly sought him.

John choked, falling under the spell of her fingers tracing over him while one of her knees slotted over his hip. When she established a third grip at his neck John followed her lead to press at her entrance. He waited until she opened her eyes and watched her face for a sign. Her nod and the meeting of their lips was cue enough for him to press forward.

She opened slowly, the rock of the boat lending to the glide inside her, and they settled when John seated inside her. He pulled back and thrust forward as slowly as he could. But when Anna wrapped her leg over his other hip he was not entirely sure he could maintain a slow pace. When she lifted her hips to meet him he was even less sure she wanted him to.

They worked a rhythm between them, using the swell of the waves and the rise of the boat to their advantage. Anna met his thrusts and sank her nails into his side when she raised her leg to take him deeper. John buried his head at her neck, kissing there when he was not seeking to breathe her in, and drove forward.

"Faster." He caught himself, not sure he heard her, but when Anna dug her heel into his ass he realized what she wanted.

John followed her guidance, speeding up, and worked a hand between them. He wanted her to reach a peak again and pressed in alternating frequency with his thrusts to rub her until she gasped out his name. That was all it took to send him over the edge.

They breathed together, the sweat on his skin slipping her hands off him. John lifted up to see her face, drawing himself free, and ran a finger down the line of her jaw. She smiled at him, her own hand cupping his face.

"Thank you." She sighed, taking his lips a moment before laying back. "I've never… I've never felt that before."

John frowned, "You're not-"

"No, not that part." Anna blushed a little, "Never climaxed before."

"Really?"

"Or felt so loved and cared for." She took a deep breath, "Not matter what happens I want you to know that."

"What's going to happen Anna?"

"Just…" She shook her head, "Nothing. I was just saying that if anything does happen then you'd know."

"I think I'll always care for you Anna." He smiled, "Something about finding a girl in my net would do that."

Anna laughed, "I'm glad you found me."

"So am I." John settled on his side next to her. "I think it's the day my life changed."

"Mine too."


	8. Time and Tide

John opened his eyes, frowning a moment as he tried to remember where he was. Then something moved against him and he was wide awake. To his embarrassment, and thankfully her ignorance, in more ways than one. He tried to shift from behind her but Anna took a deep breath and slid against John.

His barely muffled groan had her jumping up and John pushed himself back against the wall to give her space. She blinked, trying to place where she was, and only John's hand on her arm stopped her from falling out of the bunk. They settled a moment and both gave an awkward laugh.

"Good morning." He managed, grabbing at the sheet on the bed but Anna bit her lip and blushed slightly when she saw his erection.

"I'd say." Anna adjusted so her back was against the foot of the bed and John had the sheets up to his waist at the head of the bed. "How'd you sleep?"

"Better than I've had in some time." John craned around to check his watch, "I have a few hours before I'm supposed to take Ondine fishing. I could take you back and-"

"I don't know if that's what I want yet." She chewed on her lip before placing her hand on the sheet. "If you don't mind I'd like to do something else."

"I don't- I don't know if I'm up for it."

"You're already up for it." Anna tugged the sheet down to leave John exposed. "Unless you're lying to me."

"That'd be hard to do."

"Because you're already hard?"

"That's not the issue."

"What is?"

John coughed as Anna slid up the bed toward him. "Something I think you should think about before we continue this proposal."

"And what would that be?"

"I didn't use… I didn't have…"

"Protection?" Anna shook her head as she sat herself on his thighs, her hands on either side of his waist. "We don't need it."

"See I'm convinced we do because I've a pretty good success rate with unprotected sex." John shivered when Anna's fingers trailed up his arms to rest on his shoulders. "Ondine is proof that the one time I took Vera at her word and didn't use a condom we got pregnant."

"Your success isn't the issue in this case so don't worry over it." Anna leaned back, not meeting John's eyes. "I can't have children."

"You're sure?"

"Two years without a baby'll tell you that."

"Maybe it wasn't you who was the problem." John swallowed, trying to get her attention back. "Maybe it was whatever douche bag you were with. The one who didn't make you feel love or cared for or help you climax."

"It wasn't him."

"What makes you so confident he was on the level?"

"He got someone else pregnant." Anna shrugged, sliding to the side and leaving John to close his eyes and bang his head a moment on the paneling behind him.

"I'm sorry I-" He shook his head, "It's none of my business and I messed this up and I'm… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-"

"No," She stopped him, putting her hand over his mouth. "You're trying to be accommodating and I ruined it and it's-" Anna shook her head, moving to get up when John put his hand on her arm.

"Please don't go." John let out a breath, "I think we need to take a breather before we start jumping back to 'start' here."

"What?"

John motioned to them, then gave an awkward laugh. "We're trying to have a conversation about sex when we're both naked and then jumped right in the deep end of the pool."

"We're out in the middle of a bay." Anna knocked on the window, "I think we're in deep water already."

"But it's… it's different." John opened his hand to her, "Last night was glorious and wonderful and if it's the only time I ever did it with you I'd remember it for the rest of my life as the best experience I ever had."

"I would too."

"However," John covered her hands with his, "I'd like to not be the only time. If that doesn't scare you."

"It does, but not in the way you think." Anna took a deep breath, "Last night I wanted you to know that my life changed the day you found me in your net because that was the day I could leave my old life behind. To be someone different."

"Then you won't tell me who you are?"

Anna shook her head, "It's best for everyone if you've got nothing more to remember me by than my first name and a good experience."

"Why?"

She held his gaze, "I can't tell you."

"Is it because you're a mythical creature who came from the sea?" John reached forward to put his free hand on her cheek. "Or is it because of something a little more earth-bound."

Anna shook her head again. "I can't tell you."

John nodded, fingers gliding over her face. "You don't have to."

"No?"

"No." John held tighter on her hands, "But if there's anything I could ever do for you, all you would need to do is ask me and I'd do it. In a heartbeat."

"You don't even know me."

"But I want to." John brought both hands to her face, "Isn't that enough?"

Anna leaned into his hold and kissed him, her hands clamping on his neck to give her the direction she needed. John succumbed to her kiss, falling victim to her onslaught, and tried his best to use his heels to guide their descent so he lay back on the mattress. Her legs positioned on either side of his hips and her knees clamped there to hold steady while she plundered his mouth.

His fingers fell slowly from her face, skimming down to trace over her collarbones while Anna broke their kiss to lay a trail of kisses over his cheekbones. As he cupped her breasts in his hands, shifting the solid weight there with his fingers, Anna sucked at his jaw to work a pattern from ear to ear. And when John massaged there she lifted her head to moan.

Seizing his chance, John worked his mouth over her neck to leave a trail of kisses from her chin to her breasts. He teased there, sucking and kneading, before Anna gripped his hair hard enough to direct him where she wanted. When John finally wrapped his lips over her nipple she barely contained the trembling cry of pleasure.

With her nails digging crescents into one of his shoulders, her other hand smoothed its way down his body. John barely noticed when she dug her nails in, responding to a particularly enthusiastic lick or nip, and only bucked under Anna as her grip stopped. His erection twitched and swelled in her palm before working a groan from him in time with her squeeze.

They stopped, staring at one another a moment, and John swore he could hear the individual drops of water as they hit the outside of his boat. Anna loosened her grip and pulled to the end of her stroke before working back to the base. John flailed a hand for a solid hold, gripping the sheets under him for all he was worth until his knuckles whitened.

She smiled at him, slowly her pace to retrace the path of her lips over him. John's hips jerked and stuttered, trying to answer the call, and he slipped his fingers over her body in reply. Anna barely paused and only stopped when John started teasing of his own.

Her moans joined his when he opened her and played between the labors of his fingers inside her and his thumb on her. Anna's hand mapped the soft skin of his arousal, tracing down to handle the weight beneath, and continued to tantalize until John's other hand gripped her wrist. They both froze, a temporary flash of terror over her eyes leading John to immediately release her. But she shook it off and positioned her knees so his ready and weeping erection begged entrance.

"Anna-"

"Shh." She put a finger over his mouth, "It's what I want."

Sliding down slowly, she closed her eyes and let out a breath when John bottomed out. He left his hands to the side, flexing in the sheets but determined to wait, until Anna used them to pull John to a sitting position. John bit back his moan at the feel of her under and over him.

Anna placed John's hands on her ass and turned his face to her. "I want this. I want this with you."

"For how long?"

"As long as we can." Her mouth went to his ear, her hands holding onto him as if he was the only solid thing she could feel. "Can that be enough?"

"Yes." John used his hands to hold Anna in place as he moved.

Her hips responded, returning his thrusts with rocking motions to bring herself over the edge. John followed soon after but they did not separate. Anna rested her forehead on his shoulder and sighed.

"I'm sorry."

"Why?" John tried to lean back, to see her face better.

Anna wiped at tears in her eyes, "Because I'm not the kind of person you need."

"You're everything I need."

"No," She shook her head, "I'm not. You need someone who could walk hand-in-hand with you down a street. Someone who could take care of Ondine. Someone who could be your wife with no strings attached and nothing holding them back."

"I need you." John held her face. "For however long you'll have me. That's enough for me."

He ran his thumb over one of her tears and gave a snorting laugh. "Ondine told me that selkies cry three tears. When they do they get to stay with their fisherman."

"Is that a fact?" Anna looked at her hand, "I think this is more than three."

"Then it means you'll definitely say."

"I hope so." She held closer to him, "I want to hope so."

They held one another until John's beeping watch startled them both. John turned it off and nodded toward a little door. "There's a shower through there. You can use it while I start steering us back and then-"

"You use it first." Anna extricated herself, "That way I don't get seen driving your boat back."

"Do you know how to get it started?"

Anna nodded, picking up his clothes from the floor and working into his shirt. "Enough to not wreck us until you can get through a shower."

"Are you sure?"

"Guess you'll have to shower fast to find out." Anna slipped her feet into his over-large boots and tramped up to the steerage.

John smiled to himself, hurrying through the shower and drying off only enough to get into this trousers and coveralls. He took his jumper and headed to where Anna guided the boat as carefully as she could, avoiding getting near any of the others. He tapped her on the shoulder and pointed to his shirt.

"I'm going to need that and those boots back."

"I should probably wait until it won't be a show for everyone." She smiled and eased past him to get below deck.

He watched her as she walked out of his boots and grinned over her shoulder before pulling the shirt over her head to toss it to him. John swallowed at the sight of her walking naked to the shower but shook himself. Yanking the shirt over his head, smelling faint of something flowery, he pulled the jumper over it next and worked into his boots to finish guiding the boat back to his mother's dock.

When they landed Anna walked him to his truck. For a moment he wanted to kiss her but instead just grabbed her hand. She smiled and kissed his cheek.

"I thought you'd want a kiss before you left."

"I'd like that very much but I didn't want to assume."

"You've taken no liberties with me, John." Anna separated their hands. "Nothing I've done has been for any reason but my own pleasure… and I hope yours."

"That's not a question."

"Good." Anna nodded to the truck, "You'd best go get Ondine or she'll think I'm stealing all your time."

"She'd like that excuse. Her mother, on the other hand," John ground his teeth. "Sorry, that's not-"

"It's fine." Anna walked back to the house, "Tell Ondine, when it's safe, that I said hello."

"I will." John raised a hand to her before climbing into his truck.

With a glance at his watch John steered himself around the hills toward the edge of town. He pulled to a stop outside a small, stone church. John chewed the inside of his cheek a moment and got out of the truck to walk into the church.

His knee hit the ground inside the entrance before dipping his fingers into the water to make the cross. He walked to the front pew as the priest emerged from a side door. They made eye contact and the priest lowered the basket in his hands.

"If I'd known you were coming I would've invited your confession while I was pulling weeds from the garden."

"You know I'm not a good gardener Father."

"Not as good as me but I just needed hands." The priest opened his hand toward the front pew, "Or should we do this officially?"

John turned to look over his shoulder at the empty church. "Do you think we'll be interrupted?"

"Not today." The priest snorted, "It's Ireland versus England. Every pub on this fair isle'll be filled with the most devout giving their prayers where they think it matters most."

"Doesn't it?"

"I'm for England so I think I should keep that to myself." The priest sat next to him, sighing. "Who knew you and I'd be sitting like this when years ago we were dodging bullets together."

"You were already doing this job so I guess I just thought you'd be in Yorkshire instead of here." John gave a little snort, "Back then you were Major Crawley, chaplain and all around do-gooder."

"I'm still an all around do-gooder." Father Crawley joined in the laughter, "But oh the stories we tell and the people we don't even recognize as ourselves."

"Yeah."

They sat in silence a moment before Father Crawley shifted to turn his body toward John. "But you're not here to reminisce, are you?"

"I'm here to confess a bit I guess."

"Still as your version of AA or because you want absolution for something?"

"Not sure if I want absolution for something I did that I enjoyed."

"Ah," Father Crawley nodded, "Sins of the flesh I'm guessing."

"That's right."

"Not with your ex-wife was it?" John gave a look of such disgust Father Crawley held up his hands, "You've mentioned in the past that when you got yourself drunk you'd done it."

"I'd need to be pissed enough to see the devil himself as the worse option for that to happen again. No," John shook his head, "It was another woman."

"Do you love this woman?"

"Does that matter in fornication?"

"No, not in those terms, but using a woman for your sexual pleasure is a different mindset than having sex with someone you love."

"I didn't use anyone."

"Then I can say you're probably not as horrible as you think." Father Crawley took a breath, "But you don't know if you love her?"

"There's a lot about her to love but I don't know her enough to say I love her." John raked a hand through his hair. "I don't know anything about her and yet I feel like I could love her. In a way I never felt with Vera after I knew everything about her and even married her."

"Love is a difficult thing to quantify. Sometimes it's as deep as the ocean in moments with someone while we could spend a lifetime trying to deepen a connection to someone else that's no more than a puddle."

John frowned, "What would you describe your love as Father?"

"Before Cora died I'd say we had to make that furrow together." Father Crawley smiled to himself, "We labored on it and I can say now that I love her more everyday."

"Even though she's passed?"

Father Crawley nodded, "With all the certainty of my soul."

"But you had to work on that love?"

"We both committed to it and found love together." Father Crawley stood, "But now she and our son are wrapped in the loving arms of a loving God."

"I hope so." John stood as well, "Can't say I have the testimony of it that you do but I believe it's possible."

"With God, all things are possible." Father Crawley made the sign of the cross over John. "Just know this John, you're strong enough to bear the burdens placed upon you."

John embraced Father Crawley and left the chapel.

* * *

John dropped anchor and walked out to where Ondine had her eyes closed in the sunlight. "Sorry you're missing the match?"

"No." Ondine cracked an eyelid to look at him. "Mum and Dick'll be using the empty house to-"

"Okay, no more internet for you." John held up a hand to stop her. "I actually wanted to ask you something."

"What?"

"What do you think of Anna?"

"She's nice."

John blinked at her, "That's it?"

"What?"

"You're the most loquacious ten-year-old in the history of mankind and that's what you've got. 'She's nice'?"

"I'm not giving you a speech about that when I could give you a speech about the rumpled sheets in the cabin." Ondine grinned, "Don't think I didn't see them."

John reddened then leveled a finger at her, "That's not the point."

"What is the point?"

"What do you think of her?"

"If you're asking for my permission for a new mum then you've got it." Ondine paused, "Unless that's not what you're asking from me right now."

"It's not."

Ondine leaned back in her chair, "She's got secrets, that's for sure. She's a selkie, they've all got them."

"I don't think she's a selkie."

"A woman with no last name, a seal coat, and the ability to sing fish into your net just gets caught up and rescued from the bay?" Ondine shook her head, "That's not how it works."

"People do get lost as sea you know."

"Not those with magical powers."

"We don't know she has them."

Ondine smiled, "I think we do."

John pursed his lips, "So you think she's safe?"

"I don't think she'd hurt me and I don't think she'll hurt you."

"So you don't mind?"

"That you're sleeping with her?"

"That she's staying around." John shook his head, "Seriously, no internet for you. And no cable."

"No Da, I don't mind." Ondine looked back out at the waves, "I want her to stay around."

"Me too." John kissed the top of Ondine's head, "Me too."


	9. Selkie Tears and Human Promises

John knocked on the door, his hands in his pockets with Ondine playing in her wheelchair behind him. He turned, shaking his head as she attempted to get back onto two wheels, and she pouted. When he raised his fist to knock again the door swung violently open and Vera stood there with her dressing gown clutched in a fist over her chest.

"I thought you wouldn't back until late."

"We've been out for hours." John pointed toward his watch but Vera only scoffed at him.

"Ready to get rid of your daughter so quickly?"

John gritted his teeth, trying to stop the expansion in his lungs from taking over and allowing the blood thundering in his ears to drown out his sense. "You always complain when I take her at all so I thought I could earn some good will by being prompt."

"You could've called first."

"I did. You didn't answer." John turned to Ondine, "I'll get you from school tomorrow yeah?"

"I'm good for it." Ondine kissed her father's cheek when he bent to plant one on her hair. "Don't forget, I've got dialysis."

"I won't forget." John nodded at Vera, "Unless you want to take her to dialysis."

"Richard and I have plans." Vera stepped back to allow Ondine through the door but John risked a pace to stop her.

"If you want, I could take Ondine for the night since you seem… otherwise occupied."

"It's nothing she's not heard before."

"But she shouldn't have to hear it, Vera."

Vera let out a scathing laugh, "Like she wouldn't hear it at your place?"

"She wouldn't."

"That's right," Vera made a face as if trying to give some compassion for his condition but it only came off as a cruel taunt. "Because you've got no one that'll take you after I finally washed my hands of you."

"Always on the nose Vera but that doesn't solve our problem." John pointed his finger toward the interior of the house. "I don't care what you get up to with your boyfriend in your house because that's your business, but I do care about what my daughter might have to endure if it keeps happening."

"If you'd stuck around, Batesy, it'd be the same scenario and she'd just hear us instead."

"No she wouldn't." John sucked the insides of his cheeks, biting down to stop himself saying something else. "I can take her until you're both… done."

"That could be a long time. Richard's got amazing stamina."

"Then I'll keep her overnight and take her to school in the morning. She'll go to dialysis afterward and I'll bring her home in the evening. It's no trouble to me."

"I'm sure you'd love that, prove you're the better parent." Vera shook her head, "But you forget. The court gave me custody of her and you only see her at my whim. If I wanted to, I wouldn't have to do more than snap my fingers and you'd be no more than a phone call or a text message in her life."

"Ma," Ondine tried to say but Vera ignored her, standing nose-to-nose with John.

"What do you say Batesy? Do you understand how this works now?"

"I think I've got the hang of it as well now as I've gotten it every other time we've had this conversation." John lowered his voice, "I just want to be there for our daughter because I care about her as much as you do."

"Then maybe you should've thought about that before you left us."

"Left you?" John let his head go back and barked his own bitter laugh, "You kicked me to the pavement when you thought I wasn't fun anymore. You tossed me on my ass and screamed how you didn't need me."

"I don't."

"Then don't play the innocent victim when you're not that." John snorted, "Innocence doesn't suit you anyway."

"Vera?" Both turned their heads as Richard came to the door, wearing a towel and carefully combing back his wet hair.

"I thought I told you I'd be right back."

"You did but when you didn't come back I finished myself." Richard eyed John before retreating into the house. "I'll wait until you're done."

Vera turned her snarl to John, "See what you did?"

"I asked for time with my daughter so you could have time with him." John backed away, "That's all I did."

"You always think that."

John refused to respond, raising his hand instead to Ondine, "Tomorrow, after school."

"Tomorrow." She rolled herself into the house and John turned to Vera.

"If that's alright with you."

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"Maybe you wanted to take her."

"Given that this is all your fault, no." Vera went back inside the house and John wove back through the warren of houses to his truck.

Climbing into the cab, John steered himself back to his mother's house. As he walked up to the house he heard a noise and stopped in his tracks. John swallowed, trying to keep quiet on the rocky beach, and circled the house to the rear. But once he got there all he could do was smile.

Anna had an old apron covering the front of her clothes as she knelt in the overrun flowerbed and dug out the weeds. He cleared his throat and she looked up, giving a little smile of her own, and rubbed her hands free of dirt before standing. "I'd hoped to make it a surprise."

"Seeing you outside the house is a surprise."

"I rather ran out of things to do inside the house." Anna spread her arm over the beds. "This seemed the better option for my time now."

"You're making it feel a lot nicer than it's been." John sighed, "No one's touched those beds since my mother passed."

"Then I'm glad I could make it nicer." Anna bent down, "Care to join me?"

"I think we've got enough daylight left for it." John removed his jacket and rolled up his shirtsleeves. "Though I'm curious why you're bothering."

"With what?" Anna passed over the trowel as she raked through the dirt to retrieve a dead bulb.

"The house, the garden, any of it." John sighed, "You told me this morning that you're planning on staying."

"I think the motto is 'leave the place better than you found it'." Anna did not meet his eyes, digging into the dirt to extract another vined weed and toss it into the pile. "I'm just trying to repay your kindness."

"It's not a give and take."

"Aren't all relationships?" Anna reached for the trowel but John caught her hand.

"I want you here, Anna. I like having you here and Ondine likes you as well. We both want to get to know you, to involve you in our lives, and I think you want a place to stay."

"But I keep pulling away?" Anna took her hand back, "I know what I am, Mr. Bates, and I can't reconcile that with the happiness I've found here."

"Why not?"

"Because," Anna let out a breath, sitting back on her heels and resting her arms on her drawn up knees. "This is the most peaceful I've ever felt. There's nothing in the breadth of my experience that compares to the quiet and beauty of this little inlet and I can't… I can't risk ruining that by bringing what I've to offer here."

"And what do you have to offer?"

"I can't tell you." Anna shook her head, "I can't let you get involved in it."

"You're here and so am I." John risked a hand over hers and sighed a bit when she held to it. "Let me help if I can."

"I don't think you can." Anna wiped at her face, forcing a smile. "Besides, you've got so much to worry about with your ex-wife and Ondine being sick. I'd only add to your burdens and I couldn't bear to pull you into my troubles."

"What if I want to be pulled into your troubles?"

"You say that now but if you knew you wouldn't."

"You haven't given me a fair chance to prove myself in that."

"No, I haven't." Anna turned back to the garden, "But please, trust that if that moment does come that I'd… I'd come to you."

"Alright." John adjusted on his knees, hissing when his right leg seized. "Sorry about that."

"Old injury?"

"Got it in the Navy but it only causes issues when I get in one position for too long." John smiled at her, "It'll be fine."

"I hope so." She sniffed and John reached out to wipe away one of her tears.

"Are these the three tears that'll let you stay here forever?"

"I don't think so." Anna shook her head, "My tears don't have that kind of power."

"Maybe not yet." John shrugged, "You told me that selkies also have wishes to grant. Maybe you just need me to make a wish so you can stay."

"Those wishes are for selkies to use." Anna manipulated the trowel in her hand. "And if I had a wish I wouldn't use it on me so I could stay."

"What would you do with your wish?"

"I'd want Ondine to get better. I'd want her healed so she can run and swim and jump like all those other children." Anna dug into the dirt again. "I'd want her to have a life."

"What about my wish?" John's voice was soft but Anna stopped moving. She did not turn but the tension in her shoulders gave John the clue he needed to know she was still listening. "What if I made a wish that you could stay with us?"

"It doesn't work that way John." Anna set the tool down, "There's only one wish to make."

"One for you, one for me." John kept his focus on her eyes. "You made your wish and now I've made mine."

"It doesn't work that way."

"Who says?" John edged closer, noting the hitch in Anna's breathing as he knelt next to her with his hands on either side of her body to hold himself even with her eyes. "Who says magic can't work that way?"

"Reality."

"Screw reality." John adjusted to bring a hand to Anna's cheek. "I've not been sure of much in my life, Anna, but I'd be a fool if I didn't realize you were the best thing to happen to it after Ondine."

"You don't know me John."

"I want to." He ran his thumb along the line of her cheek, noting Anna's hands sliding up the fabric of his shirt. "If you'd let me."

Instead of words for a response Anna sat up on her knees enough to take John's mouth with hers. He immediately opened to the probing investigation of her tongue over his lips and adjusted his position to put his weight on his knees and open them to get closer to Anna as he dragged his trousers through the dirt. Her hands crumpled the material of his shirt in her grip to drag his mouth closer to hers, if that were even possible.

They maneuvered in the garden beds a moment more before John broke the kiss. Anna reached for him again but he took her hand and stood enough to drag them toward the little bench. But the worn and possibly rotted wood could not hold their weight when John's knee rested on it a moment just to hear it groan.

John's half laugh turned to surprise when Anna leaned him against the metal frame and seized control of his mouth again. Her hands left streaks of dirt over his face but he hardly cared and placed his foot around hers to shift their position so Anna's back was to the metal frame. The jostle separated their lips before Anna swiveled in John's grip to put her back to his chest.

He paused, hands trembling against her as he suddenly felt unsure. One of her hands grabbed his without looking for it, and directed his larger palm to cover her breast through the apron. John choked, struggling to get a better feel for her through the layers of fabric there, and finally managed to untie the apron and lift it over her head to expose her to his now questing hand.

Anna moaned into his touch, leaning her chest forward to get more of it while her hips dragged over the front of his trousers. His feet stuttered and his other hand grabbed the metal frame of the bench to hold himself up, immediately loosening his hold on her breast when he realized he tugged there as well. But the blood-boiling sound from the back of Anna's throat reengaged the pressure of his hand on her.

Placing his mouth to her neck, John laid a line of kisses there, licking up traces of sweat from her earlier gardening exertions that now matched the sweat their activities encouraged. One of her hands stroked her fingers into his hair, tugging and scraping in response to his other hand moving under her shirt to tickle at the skin of her stomach. A less-than-elegant flick of his fingers opened her jeans and his hand delved under the line of her knickers to rub against the hood of her clit.

She threw her head back, exposing more of her neck to him, and let out a series of gasping whimpers. They filled John's ears as his hand continued to manipulate and stroke over her breast while his other hand worked fingers through her dampening folds. His grip changed and faltered as he sought new positions only to drag the fabric over her sensitive core to leave Anna panting.

Sinking a finger inside her, John tried to maneuver his thumb to the right place to flick against her clit while driving as deeply as he could inside her. Anna rocked and writhed against his hand with each deepening stroke. When John added his second finger, curling both inside her each time he dragged lower, Anna shrieked and collapsed against him.

John held her in place, kissing at the exposed skin he could reach as he dragged his fingers slowly out of her. Anna managed to grab his wrist, stopping him from moving farther, and shimmied her jeans low enough to bunch around her knees with her now soaked knickers. He waited a moment but Anna's exposed ass grinding over the tent in his own trousers sent him leaving his grip on her waist to drop trou and follow suit.

He nudged her legs slightly farther apart, dragging his now free erection against the crease of her ass, and grinned into her shoulder when she whimpered for him. His wrist, still close to her, teased her open again until Anna practically quivered with anticipation. John used the moment of silence between them to drive forward until her ass rested in the cradle of his hips.

Swallowing, he tried to move slowly and used his hands as guides for his actions to soothe and caress the skin available to him. The fabric of her shirt was no barrier as he snuck under it to work over her breast again. And Anna's nails digging into the flesh of his arms when his fingers found her clit again to bring her higher was all John needed to increase his pace.

The bench under Anna's grip rocked and groaned to match their grunts and cries in the back garden. As John slid back to the very edge, circling around her before driving as deeply as he could inside her, Anna sobbed her second release. It unleashed John's matching drive and he snapped his hips against the skin of her ass while chasing his own high. Blood pounded in his ears, the slap of skin on skin sending him over the edge, and soon his hands shook as he ended inside her.

Resting his head on her shoulder, John inhaled the scent of them, the garden, and whatever detergent he bought to use in the washing machine of his mother's house. Her fingers trailed over his hands and eventually John noticed Anna's shoulders shifting against him to kiss his cheek. He lifted his head and met her lips with less passion than before but more emotion.

"Could I ask you to stay?" John murmured, sliding himself loose and helping restore their clothing to avoid sacrificed dignity.

"I'll stay as long as I can, like I promised."

"Then," John swallowed, "If I moved here, closed my flat in town, and lived in my mother's house with you, would that be alright?"

"I'd like that very much." Anna ran her fingers over his face. "For as long as we can have it."

* * *

John stroked back Ondine's hair. "So you're alright with it?"

"I always thought your flat was shit."

"Language," John warned, nodding at the beeping dialysis machine. "Do you ever feel like you belong in one of those science fiction shows you love when you're strapped to that?"

"I always hoped it'd be the moment I find out I'm actually a clone, like Martha Jones was once."

"You do remember that she died in that episode right… the clone, I mean."

"I know who died Da." Ondine chided, shifting on the bed slightly to find a better position. "I've watched it more than you."

"That you have." John settled back, resting his chin on his overlapped hands. "And you don't mind Anna and I living in your grandmother's house?"

"Isn't it technically your house?"

"Answer the question." John nudged her and Ondine shrugged.

"I think she makes you happy and I want that for you."

John nodded, "You haven't mentioned it to your Mum have you?"

"What kind of confidant do you think I am?"

"Alright, don't get your knickers in a twist."

"Not like you've gotten her knickers in a twist eh?" Ondine grinned and John raised a finger.

"That's not appropriate and not at all nice."

"I know you're having sex with her Da."

"But I'm not discussing it with you." John took a breath, "What about your Mum and Richard?"

"They're still having it."

"I mean, are they still doing it with you in the house?"

"No, they're trying to make sure I'm asleep or out first." Ondine pulled a face, "I guess it's all on Richard since Ma's not really the kind to care about someone else's feelings."

"You do know she loves you, right?"

"I know she wants to." Ondine sighed, "I don't know if she knows how to."

"Not everyone grows up with someone like your grandmother to help them learn the ropes of human kindness." John checked his watch, "I'm going to find Doctor Clarkson and see if there's been any news."

"If there'd been news he would've told us Da." Ondine tapped the machine at her side. "For now these'll have to do."

"But not forever." John stood, "I'll be right back."

"Alright." Ondine settled and John snuck out of the room.

"Is something wrong Mr. Bates?" He turned to see Sybil hurrying over, "Something with Ondine?"

"No, nothing's wrong, I was just hoping to catch Doctor Clarkson if he's got a moment."

"He's in surgery at the moment but he did tell me there's been news about your daughter's position on the list."

"Good news I hope."

"They're looking into a match from London because the age is right and it meets more of the markers but they'll know more in a few days." Sybil put a hand on his shoulder, "It's not the news you were hoping for but I guess it shows that they're making progress."

"We're all making some kind of progress." John nodded, "Thank you all the same."

"It's my pleasure."

John eased back into the room and noticed Ondine breathing peacefully. He sat down in the chair by her bed and leaned back, closing his eyes as well. They both slept until the machine beeped completion and John sat straight up in his chair. Ondine woke more slowly but was her chattering self by the time John wheeled her back to her door.

Richard was the only one there, dragging at his fag while reading a paper. He stood as they approached and pointed inside while addressing Ondine, "Your Ma's asleep so if you go in don't wake her."

"Alright." Ondine lifted her head for John to kiss the crown of it. "I'll see you at the carnival Da."

"Saturday then." John nodded at Richard, "Morning Richard."

"John."

With that he went back to his home, pulling the truck to a stop outside the house. But there were no lights on inside and John frowned to himself before he recognized the sound of gentle singing coming from his boat. He walked the dock quickly and saw Anna leaning over the side of the boat, painting the name in shining black ink.

"I was going to do that."

She jumped slightly at his presence and then smiled, "But I was here to do it."

"But we're going fishing and it'll just make the paint wear off."

"Then I'll paint over it again." Anna teased, setting the paint and the brush aside. "It's a touch-up and I didn't think you'd mind."

"I don't." John untied one of the ropes and reached for the other one before jerking his head toward the dock, "Do you want to go or stay?"

"I haven't been out on the water in a few weeks." Anna waved a hand toward the house, "And since I've cleaned every nook and cranny in that house I think there's nothing else to do but pace."

"You could always go to town or take in the sights."

"No," Anna shook her head, "Best if I'm not seen."

"I'm sorry," John raised his hands, "I forgot."

"It's alright." Anna picked up her tools, "It just means I get some time with you on the water."

"That it does." John untied the other rope and tossed it on board as he climbed over the edge himself. "I enjoy the company."

"Shame Ondine couldn't come with us."

"Early morning dialysis isn't her favorite but she had the day off and it'll give her more time to rest before the carnival on Saturday." John started the engine and steered the boat out of the inlet. "She loves it and wouldn't want to be too tired to appreciate it."

"What's so special about this carnival anyway?"

"Nothing really. It's just the only time the town actually looks all spruced up and things get decorative. Well," John shrugged, "That, Christmas, Easter, and St. Patty's day. All the other holidays are just excuses to stay inside and complain about not enough time to sleep."

"The constant struggle of humanity." Anna rested on the side, closing her eyes to lose herself in the steadily blowing wind as the boat took to open waters.

John craned his head out, smiling at the sight of her at ease on the boat, "When you say humanity, is that because your people sleep enough?"

"I'm not going to answer that." Anna taunted back, humming to herself as John found a spot to stall the boat and ready his trawling net.

He dropped it into the water, letting it run out a bit before holding it steady and taking his position back in the cabin. "Care to steer?"

"Not yet." Anna hummed to herself, "I want to enjoy the breeze for a bit."

Turning back to steering John found his smile broadened when he heard her start singing. It was the same haunting tune from before, echoing out over the waves from her small body, and putting John completely at ease. Slipping over the waves, guided only by the currents and avoiding all other boats in the bay, John eventually had to stall the boat again when a whine on the mechanism alerted him to the net's capacity.

He went back, working the winch, and hauled the net into the containment area to drop a load of fish. When the net cleared and he pushed its soaked nylon out of the way, John whistled. "That's not good."

"What?" Anna came to his side, "I don't understand. They're fish, like always."

"No," John crouched, rubbing at the back of his neck, "They're salmon."

"Aren't salmon fish?"

"They're fish you're not supposed to catch with a trawling net." John stood, "We've got to get rid of-"

Anna followed the direction of his gaze and covered her mouth with her hand as a ship bearing the markings of the Coast Guard hailed them. "What do we do?"

"Get below." John pressed at her shoulder, "I'll manage them."

Anna disappeared and John turned to his engine, stopping it fully as the Coast Guard ship pulled up next to his. Two tall men, a lanky ginger and a sincere-looking blonde, boarded his boat. Both raised their hands to their heads to greet him.

"Morning Mr. Bates."

"Alfred, William, it's been awhile." John shook their hands. "How can I help you today?"

"We're just running an inspection." William pointed to the side of the boat, "Noticed you found someone who writes nicer than you do to repaint the name of your vessel."

"I did and it does look nicer than it did." John tucked his hands into his armpits, "You're welcome to take a look about."

"Thank you." William nodded at him as Alfred's long strides took him to where the last of the salmon stopped flapping.

"You do know it's not salmon season don't you Mr. Bates."

"I do."

"Where are you drag nets Mr. Bates?" William waited and John took him to the container where he kept the drag nets. William opened it and pulled the netting out, feeling all over the nylon. "These are still dry."

"That's right."

"Then how'd you catch them?" Alfred frowned and John pointed over his head at the dangling net.

"Trawling."

"You don't catch salmon trawling." Alfred stood in front of John, matching his pose as he crossed his hands over his chest as well. "You can't."

"But I did."

"How?"

John shrugged, "I've no idea."

"Mind if we look over your boat?" William put his hand on a hatch and lifted before John could respond.

His gasp had John peeking in as well, Alfred leaning over the top. Anna sat there, crouched in the hold. William turned to John, then to Alfred, and finally back to Anna.

"Are you alright miss?"

"Yes."

"Then why're you in there?"

"I get nervous meeting new people." Anna took William's offered hand and climbed out of the hatch. "Sorry."

"It's no problem." William cleared his throat and pointed to the pile of fish. "How'd he catch those?"

"Trawling."

William and Alfred turned to one another, Alfred shrugging before William turned to John. "The odd nature of a woman in your hatch aside, I don't think there's anything to worry about here."

"Thank you." John shook their hands, "Always a pleasure gentleman and you're welcome to whatever of the fish I keep when you come over for dinner sometime."

"We'll hold you to it Mr. Bates." They both dipped their heads toward Anna and went back to their boat.

John sighed, facing Anna. "What now?"

"I guess we see if you catch anything else today and then go back to town."

"But you're-"

"It's too late for that."

"How is it too late?"

Anna waved a hand at the departing Coast Guard boat. "They've already seen me and they'll tell people about the woman they found in Mr. Bates's boat. People know I exist now."

"Is that bad?"

Anna shrugged, "I guess we'll find out, won't we?"


	10. Mermaids on Parade

John pulled the boat to the dock and jumped down as Anna tossed him the ropes. Between the two of them they loaded the fish into crates and managed the dollies to roll them into the fishery where Mrs. Hughes waited. Her eyes widened at the sight of the fish, then at the kind of fish, and even wider when she realized John came in with a woman.

"Does the Coast Guard know about this?" Mrs. Hughes kept her eyes on the fish as her workers loaded it into the containers to weight and sort it.

"They found me first." John shrugged, dodging someone working the crates off the dollies. "It's all I could do to explain to them the miracle of it all."

"Miracle it is." Mrs. Hughes turned to Anna, "What about your friend here? I was sure that I knew everyone involved in your life considering there were only three people and one of those people is me."

"She's my…" John stopped, turning to Anna. "She's very dear to me."

"You already look nicer than the last woman he brought in here with him so that's a good thing." Mrs. Hughes extended a hand and then withdrew it so she could take off the glove she wore. "Sorry, there's more fish on there than I want to admit to and it's better if I don't wear it and shake your hand."

"I'm used to fish." Anna shook her hand, "Though I'm intensely curious about the last woman he brought with him."

"Other than Ondine, who's a joy to behold anytime she comes, the only other woman he brought with him was his ex-wife and we'll be honest…" Mrs. Hughes shook her head, "That woman's a terror."

"I've only heard bad stories." Anna smiled, "But I prefer to try and believe she's got a sort of soul… somewhere."

"We all do." Mrs. Hughes tallied up the last of the fish and tore the receipt for John. "People are going to be very happy that they'll get salmon early this year."

"And I'm happy they pay for it." John folded the receipt into his pocket and nodded at Anna, "Do you want to go back or…?"

"I think I'd like to finally see the town." She held out a hand, "Shall we?"

They wended their way out of the fishery and onto the dock. Anna looped her arm through his, keeping pace as they reached the actual road. John leaned toward her and followed her direction to walk or stop at the different shops. He noticed, as they walked along in the afternoon, the people along the street that stopped to gawk at them.

"Anna," John whispered and she looked up from where she had bent over to investigate a sampling of chocolate. "We've gathered a crowd."

"Haven't they ever seen a woman before?"

"Not one like you." Both turned to see Ondine steering her chair toward them. "And none with my Da."

"Does he have some kind of undesirable reputation?"

"More like a rather nasty ex-wife." John muttered and turned to Ondine. "Aren't you supposed to be at school?"

"It was half day today. Budget cuts."

"What's the school system coming to?" John sighed and opened his hands to Ondine and Anna. "Anybody want an ice ream?"

"What flavor?" Anna smiled at him but her brow furrowed. "Though I think she might have other ideas."

John's face fell immediately and he put his body in front of Anna's when Vera stopped in front of them. Her sneering scoff ground at John's bones but he gritted his teeth as she spoke. "So Angela was right."

"And what could Mrs. Bartlett have to say?"

"She told me you'd found yourself a hussy to take around the town." Vera snorted at Anna, "I hope he's paying you well for your time ill spent."

"I'm sure there's nothing he'd have to pay me for." Anna shrugged, "The pleasure of company is its own reward."

"His company?" Vera's howling cackle was enough to bring onlookers peering at their strange assemblage. "The great bore that he is brings you any kind of pleasure?"

"I'll admit it takes a bit of intelligence but I'm more than equal to the task."

Vera made a move toward Anna but John put a hand on her shoulder. "Get your hand off me John Bates or I'll make a scene."

"Bigger than the scene you're making now?" John removed his hand and lowered his voice. "I think you need to leave and go back to Richard or your house or whatever pub you want to crawl into."

"I'm not leaving Ondine here with you and your whore." Vera grabbed the back of Ondine's chair. "She's coming back with me."

"Ma I don't want to go home yet. I only just got here."

"I don't care." Vera pulled at her chair. "I'm not letting you stay with that woman."

"What are you afraid she'll do? Teach her good manners or treat her with kindness?" John went to put a hand on Ondine's chair but drew his hand back. "You can't begrudge Ondine her happiness just because you can't stand that I might be trying to find mine."

"What do I care about your happiness?" Vera spit, "You're nothing to me."

"He's everything to me Ma." Ondine butted in, pushing off the handles of her chair to stand. John and Anna both moved forward to help her stand but she grabbed Vera's arm instead. Her fingers dug into the fabric of Vera's sweater. "Please, don't do this. Don't be cruel."

A muscle in Vera's cheek twitched as she gritted her teeth. With a stiff nod, she helped Ondine back to her seat and then stepped back. "Fine. Stay with your father and his hussy of a girlfriend. But you'll be home tonight and you won't see him again until the carnival Saturday, is that clear?"

"Yes Ma." Ondine got comfortable in the chair. "I'll be home on time."

"Then I'll see you at home." Vera shook her head at Anna, before muttering at John. "And she better not be with you when you come."

"I'm not so cruel as to grind any kind of happiness I have in your face, Vera." John chewed the inside of his cheek, "I'm not like you."

"You always did think you were better than me."

"I've never thought that Vera."

"You're a liar." Vera turned on her heel and walked up the road.

With a sigh, John turned to Ondine, "I think I mentioned ice cream and I still want to try out a new flavor if you're both up for it."

"They've got a quadruple fudge." Ondine went to steer her chair, hands tapping excitedly against the armrests. "And then there's the whipped cream and-"

"Oh my goodness," John took the back of Ondine's chair and pushed it forward, "I think my arteries are filling just listening to you."

"Maybe," Anna took Ondine's hand, keeping pace with the chair. "Your dad's too old for ice cream and we should get him something else instead. Something more befitting his age."

"That's cold."

"Not the cold of ice cream you're not eating." Anna teased and smiled at him with Ondine.

John pushed the chair forward, shaking his head, "You're both pretty lippy for people about to get ice cream."

"What's life if not a bit of fun?" Anna laughed, "And I think I'll try a bit of the quadruple chocolate fudge as well."

"Then you'll both be sick later and I'll have to fit the two of you on this chair to get you back." John nodded, "Anna could you-?"

She grabbed the door and swept her hand toward the interior. "If you'd escort the young lady in sir, then we can allow her to choose according to her desires."

"That might be a dangerous road to travel."

"But it is our road." Ondine pointed her arm forward, "Onward, noble sir."

John pushed Ondine in with a smile on his face.

The rest of the afternoon, and even as they wandered into the evening, John had never felt happier. Anna and Ondine reveled in the shops and the little things as they shared their ice creams. When it came time for it John pushed Ondine to the edge of the warren of houses where Anna waited.

"We'll be back soon."

"I've got nothing but time." Anna rested on the edge of a low retaining wall. "I won't mind waiting here."

"We'll be back soon." John repeated as he pushed Ondine toward the house.

They were a little farther in when Ondine finally spoke. "I thought she had to keep hidden."

"It wasn't anything we could avoid." John maneuvered around a corner, "She came out fishing with me and we trawled salmon."

"Must've got you a pretty penny considering you sprung for ice cream."

"You make me sound so stingy."

"Frugal is the word they use in school."

"That's not true." John pulled to a stop outside the gate to the house. "You learned that reading above your level. Don't think I didn't have the librarian berating me for giving you all those books you're not supposed to be reading yet."

"The books are school are for children."

"You are 'children' you know." John knocked on the gate and heard someone moving around inside. "But keep reading whatever you want. Just-"

"No cable and stay off the internet, I know." Ondine managed a little wave as Richard reached the gate. "Mum back yet?"

"She went out with her friend. Probably won't be back until late." Richard nodded at John, "You leave your new friend somewhere?"

"Maybe I did." John kissed Ondine's head. "I'll pick you up Saturday morning and we'll have all day at the carnival."

"See you then Da." Ondine rolled herself into the house and Richard followed after, leaving John alone outside.

He walked back to Anna and they kept pace with one another down to his boat at the docks. "I hope this afternoon wasn't too bad."

"It was lovely." Anna reached for his hand, interlacing their fingers.

"What about why you didn't want to be seen before?"

"It's too late for that." Anna shrugged, "Once they saw me on your boat there wasn't anything we could do."

"What is that you'd be afraid of people doing once they did see you?"

"Just…" Anna took a breath, "Just what people might say."

"My ex-wife called you a prostitute and you didn't even blink."

"I think the word she used was 'whore' but that's not what worried me."

"Then what?"

Anna pulled to a stop, just outside his boat. She took his hands, studying them before meeting his eyes, "It's not important. Whatever comes it'll be fine as it is."

"Are you sure?"

"No but there's nothing else to be done about it." Anna slapped the side of the boat. "Shall we go home?"

"Yes." John smiled, helping her into the boat.

She stopped, making a face, "Why are you smiling?"

"Because you just called it 'home'."

"Well it is now." Anna offered her his hand. "Do you want to go home?"

"Yes."

They sailed over the water, Anna keeping her eyes closed, and John steered them toward the middle of the bay. When he turned his focus toward the water he felt a hand on his and turned to see Anna there. She smiled, "Do you swim?"

"I'd be a shit fisherman if I didn't."

"Then," Anna winked at him, pulling his hand away and nodding toward the deck. "Let's go swimming."

"Not in the middle of the bay." John waved a hand. "I'm not risking either of us being drown by another boat or dragged under by something."

"But you'd like to go swimming?"

"Yes, but there's a place for it." John wrapped his fingers over hers, where they still rested on his hand, and kissed them. "Just trust me."

"Alright." Anna went back to her former position, leaning over the edge of the boat to bask in the breeze.

John guided his boat to the dock near his mother's house and tied it in place before extending a hand to Anna. "Come on."

She joined him on the dock and he pulled his jumper over his head. With a giggle she put a hand on his arm, "What are you doing?"

"I'm getting ready to go swimming." John worked his trousers down and kicked his boots to the side. "Don't you still want to go swimming?"

"This is where we're swimming?"

"It's safer than out in the bay." John finished, tucking a thumb under the line of his pants. "Do I keep these on or not?"

"Why are you asking me?"

"It was your idea." John tugged them up and down, "On or off?"

"Off." Anna pulled her own clothes over her head and off to drop with his until her hands were reaching behind her to grab at the clasp of her bra. "Or else this stays on."

"Off." John shucked his pants and caught sight of Anna, in the dark, leaving her own knickers to the side before jumping into the water with a squeal. He jumped over her head, splashing water at her, and then shivered. "This was a bad idea."

"Are you too cold?"

"I'm shivering." His teeth chattered and he flicked water at her but she dodged it. "How come you aren't?"

"I've always been at home in the water." Anna teased, diving under the surface only to surface nearer him. "Don't you love the water?"

"When it doesn't make my teeth chatter."

"Then you're not only not having fun but you also live in the wrong hemisphere." She put a hand to his chest, "We could make it all warmer… if you want."

"What'd you have in mind?" John worked his hand through the water to run his fingers over her stomach as she moved closer. "Is it as good as your idea of going swimming at night?"

"I got you naked so I think my ends were served." Anna leaned forward to kiss him, "If you want."

"What man on earth could possibly reject that kind of proposal?" John accepted the kiss, kicking his legs back toward the floating platform in the inlet. "Do you mean for it to be in the water or-"

"I don't think you've got the dexterity for what I plan to do to you in the water." Anna kissed him again before pushing off his shoulders to get onto the platform.

John hurried to follow and they both laughed a moment when the platform wobbled. "I don't know if it'll float this way."

"Hardly matters." Anna used a hand to work herself to kneel and rest her weight on her thighs. "We won't be standing on it so balance isn't a problem."

"It might be."

"No," Anna caught his hands to pull him toward her. "I've got that covered."

She pulled him down so John lay on his back before straddling his thighs. John reached for her but Anna stopped his hands. "Please, let me."

He relaxed back and she bent herself over him. Their lips met, without hurry and without speed, as the wind whistling through the inlet raised the hair on their bodies. Her fingers roved over him and he shivered under her but not because of the cool air blowing over them.

Anna massaged over him, running her fingers over his skin to guide her lips as her tongue traced the droplets of water off his skin. John tried to touch her but Anna shook her head, wiggling free of his grip, and stopped his motions with a determined focus on his body. When her hands reached his hips, John's hands scrambled to grab at the wood when her fingers brushed over his arousal.

"I guess you didn't get too cold." She teased, tracing her tongue over his hips.

John could not speak to respond, only grunted as his hips bucked under her. Anna slid her body over his, kissing up his erection, and licked around the top like she did her earlier ice cream. When he groaned she took him further, kneading the flesh of his hips and thighs between wrapping her tongue over him.

As his groans grew louder and his skin hotter, Anna finally pulled off him. She offered him a moment to relax before moving up to perch her knees on either side of his hips. In the dim light of the growing night John's eyes met hers. His fingers traced over her face and Anna smiled at him before positioning herself to sink down on him.

John sat up, holding any part of her he could reach, and kissed her again. She gripped him tighter around the hips and met the demands of his mouth on hers. He slipped his hands over her skin, sliding and losing his grip when the drops of water there caught under his fingers, and found purchase on her ass.

She moaned into his mouth and tried to move even closer when John rocked his hips toward her. The raft under them shifted but they rolled with it, moving in time with the lap of the waves. Anna gyrated her hips against him, lifting her legs behind him to manage him deeper.

He broke in a few moments, panting into the skin of her neck, and switched their positions. Anna spread her legs as John withdrew and met his lips again when he traced the dips and valleys of her skin with his fingers. Her own cries began when he took her breast in his mouth and worked his tongue around her nipple. John alternated between the right and the left until Anna's sounds were unintelligible moans.

Gliding down her body, John replaced his fingers with his tongue. Sucking, nipping, and licking he drove her under she broke in a sweat. John waited, continuing his gentler moves until Anna breathed a little easier. With moves back up her body, John used his fingers again to send Anna back toward the edge again. He felt the rise in himself and adjusted her legs to allow him back toward her.

"May I?"

"Please." She pulled at his shoulder, dragging him down toward her, and lifted her hips to take him in again.

They moved with the waves again. Their positions altered but their motions were as familiar as time itself. John snuck his hand between them, rubbing and pressing to get her over the edge again, and followed soon afterward.

Laying together, their panting breaths synchronizing, they soon relaxed. John kissed at her neck and then her lips before moving off. Anna traced his face with her fingers and rolled back into the water.

John watched her slipping through the water, smooth as the waves themselves. He followed her, shivering all the way, and joined her on the dock as she collected her clothes. Climbing on the dock, dripping and shuddering, John picked up his own clothes. She giggled and he turned to her, raising his eyebrows at her. "What's got you feeling so humorous?"

"This night swimming activity is exactly what I hoped would happen."

"Then why didn't you just tell me that from the beginning?" John kissed at her neck again, "I would've been much more agreeable from the beginning."

"I thought you were agreeable enough." Anna smiled, "Now, I'm freezing so let's get inside."

"You weren't cold in the water."

"I told you, I'm at home in the water."

"Because you're a sea creature?"

"Maybe." She moved past him down the dock, "I guess you'll just have to find out."

John chased after her, "I think I want to."


	11. Dangers Lurking in Deep Waters

John turned in the bed, sliding the indicator on his phone before sighing back into the covers. He nudged Anna next to him but she only groaned and pulled the covers over her head. "No."

"We've got the carnival today." John tried to wrestle the sheets from her and reached over her but only ended up with blankets squished between them and her back to his chest under the blanket.

"Right," She pushed the blankets back, sighing. "Ondine's over the moon about it."

"As right she should be. It's all great fun." John trailed his fingers over her skin, "We've got some time if you want to have some fun right now."

"Are you trying to tempt me from these rather comfortable blankets?" Anna teased, wrapping them tighter around herself as John snagged the bunching fabric in his fist to tug downward.

"Yes." He kissed at her neck, slipping the fabric further down with her distraction. "I promise you'll enjoy it."

"I don't doubt that." Anna wrenched the blankets back up, "But I'm going back to sleep."

"No," John surprised her and yanked the blankets and sheets away to leave her shivering a moment. "You'll never get up and then Ondine'll be crushed."

"That's true." Anna turned over on the bed, supporting her head with her hand, a move John soon copied. "Would you be?"

"Would I be what?" John trailed a finger over her skin, following the rising hairs and the subtle shudders when he dipped toward her exposed breasts.

"Would you be crushed?"

"Oh," John bent under her chin, tiny kisses dotting her skin like the gentle caresses of a butterfly. "I'd be absolutely gutted."

"What would you do about it?"

"I'd pout," John kissed down toward her breasts, grinning at the hum of her blood under her skin and the tremor of her muscles there. "And then I'd find a way to convince you to come to the next one."

"How?"

"Like this." John wrapped his mouth around the nipple nearest to his mouth and Anna moaned when he grazed his teeth over the sensitive skin.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him there while his hand kneaded the skin of her side. With a slip and a slide, he worked his hand between her legs and ran a line between her folds to draw the growing moisture there. Anna shunted her hips toward him and John leveraged her leg over his hip.

Moving to the other breast, John teased his fingers over her opening and pressed inside in time to his mouth's movements over her breasts. Her chest rose and fell with her panting, the harsh expulsion of her breath mingling with the thunder in his ears and the rise of his erection, so John moved back to her mouth. Their lips met and molded in a determined and sloppy fashion to move to the beat of John's fingers at her core.

Anna hung on at the edge, the cracked cries from her throat half strangled as she tried to speak, and John dug to bring her clit under the experienced motions of his thumb. She shrieked and John finally realized her hand snaked between them. It fluttered there as she searched for something to hold and gave John a turn to grunt when she settled on his erection.

They moved together, his fingers quivering and maneuvering at her center while she tried to grip him harder, and John slotted his leg between hers to raise her leg farther up his hip. Their eyes met a second and Anna removed her hand from his arousal to grasp the flesh of his ass. The meeting of their lips echoed the swift slide of John into Anna.

Holding there a moment, they waited. But when Anna adjusted her hips slightly to work John deeper he could only move in response. He drove forward slowly, seeking a rolling motion built for teasing and spiraling, but Anna dug her nails in at his shoulders and raked downward. Between that and the determined tug of her fingers in his hair while her tongue plundered his mouth, it was all John could do to not rock them away.

He plunged deeper, moved faster, and left gripping bruises in her skin where he held her tight to him. Even to his own ears John thought he sounded animalistic in his seizure of her but Anna's cries matched his own. The ear-splitting shriek that left her when he managed to send her over the edge again sounded like the music of angels to his earthly cry of completion.

They rested, John's head falling against Anna's shoulder while her arms wrapped him as tightly as her weakened body could manage. He slowly raised his head and kissed her cheek. Anna's smile shifted the muscles there and John drew back enough to see her face.

"I think I'm fully awake and ready for a carnival now Mr. Bates."

"I hope so." John took her hand in his, maneuvering to get them out of bed and pulling her toward the shower. "Because we've still got to get ready."

They finished as quickly as possible, given the circumstances, and soon John trundled his truck through the winding roads toward town. Anna stared out the window, seemingly lost in thought, and hummed to herself as they drove along. When they stopped the car outside the entrance to the warren of houses to get Ondine, John turned to Anna.

"What's the song you sing?"

"What?"

"That song. The one you sing when we're fishing or humming just now."

"It's just a song." Anna waved him off, "Go on or Ondine might think we've abandoned her."

John got out of the truck, smiling to himself, and the smile stayed until he reached Vera's house. She and Richard, surrounded by a few of her friends and someone else John had never seen before, shared their drinks and fags around with loud shouts and obnoxious music blaring from the colorful speaker on the table between them. He worked toward the door when one of the men barred his way.

"If I remember right, _Batesy_ , you're not allowed in the house."

"I'm here to get Ondine, for the carnival." John tried to move but the man stopped him again. "Move out of my way Thomas or I'll move you myself."

"Oh," Thomas turned back to the group, cackling before taking another swig of his beer, "Johnny Bates thinks he can take me on does he?"

"I could take you when I was three bottles deep. Being sober I like my chances even better now." John leaned around Thomas to Vera. "Can you tell you're lush of a guard dog to get out of my way?"

"Thomas," Vera sent a stream of smoke toward the air, "Let the righteous pass. If he touches you, you might just turn to ash."

The group guffawed and John ignored them to push into the house. It stank of stale booze and the lingering effects of nicotine but it was clean. The bin needed emptying and there were some dishes stacked in the sink but everything else seemed in good order. John turned a slow circle to survey the scene before working down the narrow hall toward Ondine's room.

He knocked but there was no answer. Trying again and getting the same response he pushed the door open to see Ondine on her bed with earbuds in and her eyes closed. John smiled to himself and crept forward, tugging the cord to get one earbud clear.

Ondine's eyes flew open but her face broke into a grin the moment she saw him. "I thought you'd forgotten me."

"It's the regatta carnival, I couldn't forget that."

"Ma said you did." Ondine sat up, ending her music and gathering a few things into a small bag she tucked into the pouch on her chair before supporting her hands on the edge of the bed. "Said I should just find a friend to take me since you're not reliable."

"I guess I proved her wrong."

"I guess you did." Ondine held up her hand when John moved forward, "I can do this part myself."

"Alright," John lifted his hands up in surrender and watched as Ondine pushed herself from her bed to the chair in a smooth motion before getting comfortable. "Whatever will you do when you have to use your own legs again?"

"Sprint up and down the hall." Ondine steered the chair out the door, John following close behind her.

"Why were you buried back here?"

"It was as far away as I could get from them."

John stopped, catching her chair in the space between the sitting room and the kitchen. "Did they do anything to you?"

"No," Ondine shook her head, "I've never liked Ma's friends but they're all civil to me. It's that bloody-awful music they were playing."

"I guess you're not into the retro stage where you like 80's power ballads then?" John opened the door for her to steer out. "What a shame."

"Not when I have much better taste in music than that." Ondine raised a hand to wave at Vera. "I'll be back later Ma."

"Yes you will be." Vera stood up, sending a stream of smoke out of the corner of her mouth before stabbing the fag into an overladen ashtray. "I'm sure your Da won't be too busy to get you home on time."

"She'll be home in time." John maneuvered through the gate, a shiver going down his spine when his eyes met those of the man he did not recognize in the group. "We're just watching boat racing and she'll have fun at some carnival games. It's nothing we've never taken her to before."

"Will your little water whore be with you?" Thomas chuckled to himself and John rounded on him.

"Excuse me?"

"Vera told us all about that little thing the Coast Guard found in your boat." Thomas puffed a cloud of smoke toward John but it dissipated before it could have an effect. "She calls her your 'water baby' but she looks old enough to be more than that."

"Keep your words to yourself, Thomas, unless you want me to shove them back down your throat." John tapped Ondine's chair. "Let's go."

When he snuck a peek over his shoulder he noticed the new man still staring at him. It was not until they were halfway to the truck that John finally jerked a thumb back toward the house. "Who was that new man?"

"The one sitting near Thomas or the one near Richard?"

"I know Thomas's friend, though what James is doing with him is beyond me." John shook his head, "The other one."

"I don't know. Apparently he stopped by earlier about something or was looking for someone but I don't know. Ma sent me to my room when she and Richard talked to him so I didn't hear anything."

"Your mother's bringing strangers to the house while you're there?"

"She made sure he didn't come in and that I was safe." Ondine shrugged, "For everything I know she isn't, sometimes I think maybe she does love me."

John stopped, "Why would you say that?"

"I'm not stupid Da," Ondine grabbed his hand and forced John around the chair to look at her. "I know she uses me against you because you love me a lot. But sometimes I think that maybe she loves me too."

"Despite the ugliness between your mother and I," John put his hand to Ondine's cheek, "She does love you. In her own way, which I don't understand, but she does love you."

"It's not like how Anna loves me."

"I don't think anyone loves like Anna does." John stood, "Come on or we'll miss the regatta."

They reached the truck and John debated a moment before waving his hand to Anna. She frowned and worked herself out of the cab, "What is it?"

"We'll not get a better spot down by the harbor so we could walk instead."

"I don't know if it's fair since Ondine's on wheels." Anna pointed, "I think we should all get wheels."

"I'm sure someone's got a wheelbarrow or maybe a scooter you could borrow." Ondine steered her chair near Anna, "But, if not, we might fit on this chair together."

"Then what about your poor father?" Anna feigned a grimace, winking over at John. "He'd be all left out and he's a bit desperate as it is."

"He'll be fine."

Anna shrugged at John, "I guess we've decided."

"Then isn't it a shame I know Ondine's got no money and neither've you."

Ondine's face pulled into a gape of her mouth, "You wouldn't dare threaten regatta ice cream like that."

"I'm not," John tapped his pocket holding his wallet. "I'll enjoy it for the both of you."

Ondine turned to Anna and then sighed, "I think he's got us over a barrel."

"For now," Anna soothed and offered her hand to John. "Shall we? I've never seen a regatta before and I'm rather intrigued."

They worked toward the harbor, finding positions good enough to see the boat races that put a smile on Anna's face and had Ondine screaming with all the passion of a fan. When those ended the carnival began and John paced with them as they walked the booths and tested the treats. A feeling John could only describe as a quiet contentment reached him when he watched Anna win a stuffed animal large enough to dwarf Ondine and then forced it on the girl's lap to their delighted squeals. The two people he cared for most in the world looked perfect together.

But, as he held the stuffed animal and checked the stalls for a passible option he could claim was their dinner, John noticed Anna and Ondine missing. Scanning the crowd he caught sight of Anna's blonde hair and the space left by Ondine's chair. John hurried toward them, his quest for food forgotten in his confusion as to why they would leave him so far behind, and thought he had a chance of catching up when Ondine whizzed toward the harbor wall.

The stuffed animal hit the pavement and John's feet flew as he tried to catch the chair. But it hit the edge and John felt his heart explode in his chest when Ondine's limp body sailed out of it and into the deep harbor water. A moment later the lithe swan dive of Anna followed and John could not tell if he felt relief or increased fear that both of them were now drifting bodies in the water below.

He sprinted for the docks, shouts and calls from the crowd alerting him to two moving figures in the water, and he stumbled into the line of small rowboats that reached out from the wooden planks. John hit the last one as Anna reached it, Ondine carefully in her arms. He took Ondine and wrapped her tightly in his jacket before helping Anna into the tiny boat.

Both of them shivered from the water and the cold wind. He flailed a moment until the comforting noises of emergency teams arrived to bring out their foil blankets and wrap both girl and woman in the shiny material. John escorted them back where the paramedics checked both, deemed them fit, and then returned to keep their eyes on other revelers who might find themselves in more dire straits.

John bent to lift Ondine, carrying her close to his chest as Anna kept pace beside him, and spoke to her. "What happened?"

"My brakes went out and the slope sped my wheels." Ondine snuck a peek toward Anna. "But she was there to save me. Swam like a selkie to get me out of that water."

"You're going right home for a bath after that water." John kissed her head, hugging her close to him. "Your mother'll be mortified."

"She knows the chair's been having trouble since the batteries shorted out a few weeks ago."

John stopped, setting Ondine in a chair set up near one of the festival plastic tables. "When did the batteries short? You never told me this."

"They got wet."

"How'd they get wet?" Ondine wouldn't meet his eyes so John put an edge to his tone. "How'd they get wet Ondine?"

"A few kids from my class wanted to try it out and thought it was an ATV."

"And you let them?"

"It was the first time they didn't call me a spaz or a retard." Ondine's chin trembled and John pulled her close to him again.

"I'm sorry." He pressed his lips to her again, "I'm so sorry Ondine."

"Is she alright?" The trio turned to see Father Crawley, pushing Ondine's chair with the slightly trampled stuffed animal perched on the seat.

"I'm fine Father Crawley." Ondine pulled the stuffed animal into her lap before John replaced Ondine in her chair. "Bit of a scare but nothing too serious."

"If not for this angel here," Father Crawley nodded at Anna, who only drew herself deeper into the foil blanket. "I think we'd all be in far worse moods."

"Yes we would be." John held Anna's hand, giving her a quick smile before turning his attentions back to Father Crawley. "Thank you, Father, for retrieving the chair and the stuffed animal. Saved us time and effort."

"I was just finishing a lovely bag of barbequed squid when I noticed the tail end of the little escapade and thought I could be of assistance." His eyes darted toward Anna again, "I'm sorry, have we met? Because I've got the strangest feeling I know you."

"I'm sorry but we've never met." Anna made herself smaller. "I'm new around here."

"I'll say." Father Crawley pointed to John. "There's been talk all over town about the beautiful woman on John Bates's arm and a few people asking about that woman."

"Asking you, Father?"

"Even if they were," Father Crawley tapped the side of his nose, "I wouldn't say anything."

"I'd hope not." John put a hand on Anna's shoulder and noticed she was staring into the crowd. He followed her eyes to see the same man from Vera's little gathering. The man's eyes laser focused on Anna and she seemed almost paralyzed by his presence. "Anna?"

She shook herself back to the present and a flick of John's gaze confirmed the man was gone. "Sorry, I wasn't paying any attention."

"I was just thinking we need to get Ondine home and ourselves cleaned up. We've no idea what's in that harbor and I'm not waiting to glow with radioactivity to find out."

"Right," She extended a hand to Father Crawley. "It was a pleasure meeting your Mr. Crawley."

"And you Anna." He took John's hand next. "I do hope you'll think about Mass on Sunday… or another of our chats. I enjoy those."

"I'll have one with you soon Father." John put his hands on the handles for Ondine's chair and pushed forward. "Until then."

They worked Ondine back home, the crowd parting faster now than before. But if the surprise and interest in Ondine's case were the talk of the regatta then it had failed to reach Vera with any alacrity and the woman flew into a veritable rage when John and Anna delivered a less sopping but no less dirty Ondine to her door. She spit and railed at John when she wrapped Ondine in her arms, calling out something that sounded like: "I'm glad he's looking for her. Someone needs to get her away from us" before she slammed the door.

John sighed, walking Anna back to his truck and making the trip back to their shared house in silence. Unlike the silence of their earlier journey, the companionable silence that suggests any question asked will be answered with full honesty but no questions come to mind, this pressed on John as he steered through the dark. They did not speak until they were back in the house and John shut the door.

"The brakes didn't go out, did they?"

"No," Anna removed the foil blanket and hauled her soaked shirt over her head to drop into the washing machine. "Her brakes worked just fine."

"Then what happened?"

"She asked me if I was a selkie and if I was going to stay forever." Anna struggled out of her wet jeans but added them to the machine with her other clothes until she had wrapped the foil blanket back over her nude body. "When I told her I couldn't answer that she said she's prove that I was."

"Was what?"

"A selkie." Anna shrugged, "She wanted to prove I could breathe underwater."

"So she tossed herself off the edge of the harbor wall?"

"I tried to stop her but the crowd got in the way and it was all I could do to dive in after her." Anna walked toward the bathroom, "I'm sorry I couldn't stop her John."

"Hey," He caught up to her, a hand on her shoulder crinkling the material of the blanket. "It's not your responsibility to do that. What you did was beyond what I could've asked of anyone."

"Not beyond what you would've done."

"She's my daughter."

"And she's my…" Anna stopped, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be thinking that."

"Thinking what?" John rested his fingers gently on her face to turn to her to look at him. "What are you thinking Anna?"

"That I want to be that for her. I want to stay here with you. That I want to be involved in her life." Anna waved a hand, the foil blanket slipping slightly to expose her shoulder. "That I want to stay here forever."

"Then stay."

"You know I can't." Anna sighed, "I'm… I'm not free to stay here."

"Because of that man?"

"What man?"

"The one staring daggers at you in the crowd." John stopped, "Is he your seal husband, or whatever Ondine called it?"

"He's got a hold on me, that's for sure." Anna shook her head, "But he's not my husband, no matter how much he always wanted to be."

"But he's involved in whatever could snatch you away at any moment?"

"He's the crux of it, John."

"Then tell me what it is and we'll solve this together." John rested his over hand over where hers crumpled the foil tight over her chest to keep it from slipping further. "I want to help you solve this Anna."

She met his eyes and finally nodded. "Alright."

"Aright?"

"Yes," She put a finger to his lips to stop him. "But not tonight. Soon but not tonight."

"Okay." John nodded toward the bathroom. "We need to get you cleaned up."

"Yes, I'd hate to glow with radioactivity."

They worked into the small bathroom and once the water streamed out John stopped. Anna dropped the foil and worked her hands under his clothes to leave him as bare as she was. They stepped under the spray together and once John felt satisfied his hands over her body not only cleaned her but left her relaxed, he started leaving kisses in the trails of water.

She writhed against him, sending water splashing onto the glass walls of the cubicle. John gripped her harder, working her back against the cold tiles of the shower wall, and lifted her with a strong grip on her thighs. Anna immediately wrapped them around him and groaned as John slid his arousal over her.

Her movement caught John by surprise when she took him into her with a twitch of her hips. He gasped, risking a hand on the wall behind her and rested his head on her shoulder to breathe. But her fingers raking in his soaking hair, and the heat between the water and her silky grip on him, left John no choice but to move.

Their position meant John controlled the affair. He dragged his lips and teeth over her, sucking and nibbling at her breasts to hiss in pain-tipped pleasure at the claw marks she left over his shoulders. And when her hand worked between them to help drive them closer to the finish and brushed John, all he could do was succumb to the frenetic frenzy for release.

Breaking first left John only a few moments to work the last drives of his hips into a rolling motion. It caught her hand and drove Anna over the edge as well. They stared at one another until a spit of cold water hit John's back and he twitched. That caused them to slip a moment and the eternity long second equivalent to leaning a chair back too far hit them.

But they righted themselves and giggled before rinsing in the cooling water before John shut it off. They toweled dry and snuggled close under the blankets and sheets they had left in a sorry heap that morning. John did not care about the cold water or the sheets or even the bed they shared. What he cared about, as he stroked the damp strands of blonde hair spreading over the pillow under the head of the sleeping woman beside him, was Anna.

Anna and Ondine, the most important people in his life. Both held tantalizingly close and yet both were so far away. He wanted to keep them both near him, protected, loved, and safe but forces outside his control conspired against that. Forces he needed to fight without knowing where they were from- in Anna's case- or what they were going to do next.

As John gazed at the woman next to him, cuddled to his side like she was made to be there, he realized it did not matter. He would fight whatever, whoever, wherever, and however he needed. He would get Ondine back, he would keep Anna, and they would all be a family together.

John smiled to himself and closed his eyes, he would see that dream be reality.


	12. Red Sky in the Morning

John dipped his fingers in the bowl and used them to make the sign of the cross. Walking over the floor he raised a hand to Father Crawley before taking his place in the booth. The shuffle from the other side still did not stop him jumping slightly as the wooden panel slid back to thump in its holder.

"I need to fix that." Father Crawley shifted in his seat, "Is Ondine alright?"

"She's doing much better. Replaced the brakes and battery on her chair so there shouldn't be any more incidents."

"That one was top of the line. I didn't think the brakes would go out so quickly. She's only had it a few weeks."

"Almost two months but yeah, stranger things have happened."

"Like you having a girlfriend?"

"I've not had problems with women in the past Father."

"Except for your ex-wife."

John cringed, "You've got me there."

"Anyway, I guess we should probably get this started." Father Crawley made the sign of the cross in the air, his movements shadowed and dimpled in the lattice of the viewing window. "What brings you here my son?"

"It's about a girl, Father."

"The girl you're…"

"Yes." John nodded, interlacing his fingers and tapping his thumbs together. "It's not so much abut what we're doing-"

"You're not asking for forgiveness for that?"

"I can but… I think you actually have to feel sorry to ask for God's forgiveness in something like this."

"Generally that's the idea."

"Then I probably shouldn't." John sighed, "It's more that I'm not sure how to proceed with it all."

"Generally, in this day and age, people move in together or get engaged and married. Sometimes there's cohabitation for a period but that's just what I've gathered from the people I've advised."

"We're already cohabitating…" John shook his head, "We're living together in my mother's house. Well, I guess it's mine now since my mother's since passed-"

"God rest her soul."

"Yeah, and I've sold my flat so we're making it all work there."

"Then you're asking what the next step is?"

"I guess."

"Engagement, if you're up for marriage in the end."

"I don't know Father…" John struggled, "Is that wise?"

"I think the better question, John, is what's stopping you from wanting to marry her. If you're already living with her and you seem to like her-"

"I do."

"Then what's keeping you from moving forward?"

"She's got a secret… something about her life before she came here."

There was silence a moment before Father Crawley spoke. "Is that something that bothers you?"

"It should but that's not it."

"Then what is it?"

"It's more…" John fumbled for words. "It's more than I'm afraid to move forward. Afraid something'll happen and I'll lose it all."

"What's 'all' in this case?"

"If I move forward with Anna, Vera's threatened to take Ondine from me forever. It was hard enough to get the visitation I have and if I move forward with Anna then…"

"You'll delay your happiness on the chance that you'll lose the little happiness you already have?"

"I guess." John puffed his cheeks with a series of quick breaths. "It's more about the horrible reality that things in my life don't work out the way they're suppose to. I'm afraid of putting any hope in this because all hope's bought me in the past is misery."

"Why not take the risk?"

John shrugged, "I don't know. Why did you turn to this when Cora died?"

"It was a way to find new hope."

"And that's what you think I should do? Find new hope?"

"Well haven't you?" Father Crawley leaned on the wall, "You've set your heart on this woman and you're concerned that perhaps you've maybe given it without really thinking about how much you'll lose if you do?"

"I guess."

"Then will you accept the possibility that you can't get what you want without risking it all?"

"It'd be easier if not for this morning."

"What about this morning."

"Red sky Father. You know what that means."

"And I also know what Christ said about it. That it's no sign of the times." Father Crawley pushed out of the confessional and John hurried to follow him. "A red sky is nothing but weather. It's not a portent of trial or trouble or anything but atmospheric disturbance and you're going to be fine."

"Is that it?"

"It has to be. I've got a wedding coming through to practice and you're going to just be in the way."

"Thank you?" John pulled a face and extended his hand to Father Crawley. "I guess it's been helpful."

"It's what I can do." Father Crawley adjusted his collar, "I'd love to see you in Mass on Sunday."

"We'll see about that." John walked out of the church and shoved his hands into his pockets for his walk into town.

As he kept his focus on the road, thoughts churning in his head, John noticed someone keeping pace with him. He turned, recognizing the man from the carnival. "Can I help you?"

"Maybe." The man bent his hand around to scratch at his face. "You were with that woman the other day at the carnival."

"Which woman?"

"The little blonde one."

John chewed the inside of his cheek. "She's a friend. Why do you ask?"

"Because I'm someone interested in her welfare." He held out his hand. "My name's Alex Green."

John stared at Green's hand and snorted, "No, I don't think so."

"Why not?" Green frowned, "I'm just trying to be friendly."

"Then why do I get a sick feeling in my stomach that says you don't mean her anything but harm?"

"I'm not sure what you've heard from her about her… life, but maybe you should hear it from me."

"I doubt the version you'd give me is the right one." John backed away from him. "It'd be best if you and I never met again."

"Why? Afraid that I'd tell you the truth?"

"No, I'm afraid you'll tell me what you think is the truth." John shrugged, "Sorry but this isn't worth my time."

As he tried to walk away, Green called out to him. "You need to tell me where she is, Mr. Bates, or else you're going to have a bigger problem on your hand than your little crippled daughter."

John charged him and grabbed the man by his lapels. Green's back hit the stone wall and his breath exhaled in a rush as John thumped him hard. "Don't you dare speak about my daughter like that."

"It was an observation."

"Then observe this," John dropped Green into a heap. "My daughter's not a problem and if you bring any of your trouble around me or anyone close to me I'll ruin you."

"Will you now?" Green stood up, dusting himself off. "You don't even know the woman you're letting near your daughter."

"I know everything I need to know about her." John went back to the road, "And everything I need to know about you."

"I hope you think you're right." Green shouted after him but John ignored him.

He walked back into town and waited outside the school. When the bell rang he raised his hand to Ondine and she steered her chair toward him. "Are you ready for dialysis?"

"I've got a book today so you won't need to keep me too interested."

John put a hand on his chest, "I'm offended you think I couldn't keep you interested."

"I didn't say you weren't interesting. I'm just doing more research."

"It wouldn't be research on selkies would it?" John faced her and Ondine looked toward the ground. "Don't think I don't know that you weren't lying to me when you said your brakes went out."

"I just needed to test it out."

"And did you learn anything?" John waited and Ondine shrugged.

"Nothing I didn't already know." Ondine aimed her chair toward John's truck, "When did you park here?"

"Before I went to go see Father Crawley." John helped her into the truck and loaded her chair in the back of it. "I needed to ask his opinion about some things."

"About Anna?"

John stopped, leaning on the sill of the window to squint at Ondine, "Why would you think that?"

"Because you only went to him before when you were stopping drinking but since you've been sober for years now you haven't needed to go back."

"Oh," John laughed, "Someone thinks they're clever."

"No, I know I'm clever." Ondine waited until John was in the cab with her, "What did he say?"

"He said that maybe my problem is that I'm too afraid of finding happiness to actually find it."

"Maybe he's right."

"Maybe he is."

They were quiet all the way to the hospital and waited until Sybil had attached all of Ondine's leads before Ondine tapped John on the arm with the book in her hands. "Is it because of me?"

"What?" John put a hand on her head, "Why would you think that?"

"I know that Ma uses me as a pawn between the two of you, the leash that keeps you where she wants you but…" Ondine opened her book on her chest, holding her place and shifted as much as she could to look at John. "But maybe it's because you let her."

"I wouldn't let anyone threaten what we have Ondine."

"I don't think you trying to bring Anna into your life is a threat."

John petted her hair back, "To your Mum it is."

"But she doesn't control you and you shouldn't let her."

"She could take you away from me, Ondine."

"She could but she won't." Ondine shrugged, "As much as she wants to taunt you with it or threaten it to get her way she never will. She knows she doesn't have the case for it."

"Have you been reading up on child custody law in between your research into selkies?" John rapped his knuckle against the hard cover of the book on her chest. "Or have you been eavesdropping on your mum's conversations?"

"She and Dick were talking about it one night when I was doing my homework. He was talking about going back to Scotland, said he wants to marry her and move there but she said they can't as long as I'm with them."

"And what'd Richard say to that?"

"He said that maybe she should give you custody and they could start their own family since he knows she doesn't want to be the one to take me to dialysis and spend all the time at hospital."

"Your mum's always been selfish." John shrugged, "Do you want to go to Scotland?"

"No, I want to stay with you and Anna but Ma doesn't want to give you the satisfaction but Dick was saying that maybe she should let it all go."

"That would take a lifetime and a shrink." John sighed, "But did they make a decision about Scotland?"

"No, since she'd have to get a job there and if they got married she couldn't take alimony from you." Ondine snorted, "Ma likes to cling to things."

"She does, doesn't she?" John smiled at her, "But it's alright. We'll figure this out between us."

"Yes we will." Ondine pulled up her book, "I hope you brought something."

"I could read aloud to you."

"I'm not a kid anymore, Da."

"So?" John slid the book from her fingers and opened it on his lap. "I enjoy doing things for you."

"Okay then." Ondine settled back, "You can start on Chapter five."

John read until the nurse came back to unhook Ondine from the machines. They got Ondine back into her chair and John helped get her into the truck to drive her home. Ondine lay back against the seat, breathing slowly but steadily. John put a hand out to her and her smaller fingers wrapped his a bit weakly.

"You seem a little more tired than you normally do."

"I guess it just took more out of me this time." Ondine sighed, "Where's Anna?"

"She's at your grandmother's house."

"Doing what?"

"No idea." John laughed, "Hopefully making herself busy so she's not bored."

Pulling the truck to a stop and helping Ondine to her chair, John wheeled her to her door knocked on it. There was no answer so he helped Ondine through the gate to see the empty house for himself. "Where's your Mum?"

"I forgot," Ondine groaned, "She and Dick are celebrating their anniversary at the Red Lion."

"Doesn't she know you have dialysis?"

"She does and told me to stay with a friend but I forgot to ask anyone." Ondine maneuvered the chair, "I can just stay here."

"Not alone you're not. What if something happens?"

"Nothing'll happen to me. I'm old enough."

"You've also slipped into coma before because there wasn't anyone around." John steered her chair out of the house. "We'll go to the Red Lion and have a chat with your Mum about you staying with me tonight."

John parked n the handicapped zone and helped Ondine out of the truck. They moved slowly through the crush of people inside, making their way toward the back of the room where Vera and Richard shot pool with some of her friends. Vera caught sight of them, finishing the last of her drink before lining up her shot on the table.

"Dialysis all finished?"

"Yep." Ondine stopped at the edge of the table, "I forgot you weren't home."

"Then you didn't plan ahead with your friends?" Vera finished her shot, sinking a ball before taking an offered cigarette from Thomas. She puffed it a moment, coming around the table with the fag in her teeth, and measured another shot. "So you're asking we cut our party short?"

"She could come home with me Vera." John stepped back as Thomas forced his way past him. "I don't mind taking her and she'll be back after school tomorrow."

"She's not going to stay the night with you." Vera blew out a stream of smoke before replacing the fag and sinking another ball. "She can stay here."

"It's a pub Vera."

"And they're not going to serve her alcohol, if that's what you're worried about." Vera winked over at Richard, "She might make for good fun."

"Just let me take her home Vera." John pointed to Richard, "It's your anniversary so why not enjoy it?"

"We'll enjoy it just fine." Vera rested her stick against the table and walked to John, blowing the smoke of her next drag in his face. "Just get going. I know what's best for her."

"Do you?"

"I'm her mother. It's in the blood." Vera kissed Ondine's cheek and went back to her game. "Isn't that right dear?"

"Ondine?" John turned to her and Ondine nodded.

"I've got my book. I'll be fine Da."

"Call me if you need anything." John kissed her head and walked out of the pub.

A prickle at the back of his neck the whole drive home seemed to resolve when he opened the door to his house. The whole place looked wrecked. Sheets from the bed rumpled in their strewn paths over the floor, the mattress burst stuffing and the bookshelves only held a few books as the others scattered over the room. One of the lights in the overhead fixtures was smashed and John heard something else crunch under his boot to see half of his mother's china shattered on the floor.

"Anna?" He looked through the few rooms but found no trace of her. "Anna!"

John's mad dash to the garden revealed the trampled and pitted beds leading to the swinging door of the small shed and the little greenhouse. Both were a mess of tools and veritable wreckage. All of it drove John's worry higher and higher until he realized that Anna's shoes were missing.

Hurrying out toward the dock he climbed onboard the boat but found it in the same state as the house. Charts, records, and the bedclothes spread everywhere. In the corner of his mind still processing thought John realized it was not the product of someone seeking violent destruction but of a general search.

He returned topside and heard a noise. Jumping to the dock he listened again before hurrying to pull off his clothes. When he was down to his pants he jumped into the cold water and swam under the dock. There, holding fast to one of the support beams, he found Anna.

"Are you alright?"

"I am now."

John offered her his hand, "You've got to be freezing. Come on."

Ann took his hand and they swam from under the dock. John had to help her onto the wood, her small body shivering almost uncontrollably. With swift motions he wrapped her in his clothes and helped her onto the boat. After a warm shower, taking away the blue tinge from her fingers and toes, John cuddled her in a pile of towels and blankets while he straightened the result of a mad search.

When she sat at the small table with a steaming cup between her hands John sat across from her. She did not meet his eyes, only caressed the mug in her hands. "What happened?"

"He came looking for me." Anna sipped the contents of the mug, burrowing deeper. "He wanted to find me."

"Who?" John waited, "That man from the carnival?"

Anna frowned, "Why would you think that?"

"Because he came to me today and asked where you were. He threatened me with problems if I didn't help him find you." John studied her, "What is he to you?"

"He's got a hold on me."

"So you said." John swallowed, "And that's all you said."

"It's all I could say, for now. But-"

Anna stopped as John's mobile vibrated violently on the table. He picked it up and slid his finger over the screen. "Hello?"

"Mr. Bates?"

"This is he."

"We need you at hospital right now. It's your daughter. Ondine's been in an accident."


	13. Riptide

John burst through the doors and made his way immediately to Doctor Clarkson, Anna on his heels. "Where is she? Where's Ondine?"

"She's alright, Mr. Bates. We've got her stabilized and we're prepping the surgery as we speak."

"Surgery?" John raked a hand violently through his hair, "Why the surgery?"

"We're doing a transplant."

"What?" John shook his head, "I don't understand."

"The accident killed Mr. Carlisle, the man in the car with your ex-wife and daughter. He was a donor and he's a compatible match to Ondine. Over ninety percent compatibility so we're performing the transplant now."

John hauled in a breath, "Ondine's going to be okay?"

Doctor Clarkson smiled, "More than okay. She's going to be cured, Mr. Bates."

He collapsed against the wall. Anna grabbed his arm, trying to help him stand and rested him on a chair. With her hand smoothing over his back, John stared up at Doctor Clarkson. "Are you serious?"

"I've very serious, Mr. Bates. She's going into surgery now and she'll be out in a few hours. You're welcome to watch from our observation room. We'll have Nurse Crawley escort you there."

"Please." John grasped Anna's hand and they followed Sybil toward the observation deck.

"She's very lucky Mr. Bates." Sybil smiled back at them, "The chances of this happening are astronomical."

"I know." John put a hand to his thundering heart. "How'd this all happen?"

"According to the police and the paramedics when they brought in Ondine and your ex-wife, there was an accident. Your ex-wife's blood alcohol level was over point-two-five and she was driving." Sybil stopped outside the door, gripping her hands. "Mr. Carlisle was thrown through the windshield and the force of impact of his collision with the road left him unconscious and they lost him in the ambulance."

"And Vera?"

"The impact shattered her left leg and she's got major and minor breaks throughout her body but she'll live." Sybil took a deep breath. "Just like the other man."

"What other man?"

"The one your ex-wife hit." Sybil shrugged, "His ID says his name is Alex Green but he's still unconscious."

"Green?" John frowned, "I've met him."

"From what they've found, he caused the accident and the police are hoping to question him once he wakes up." Sybil opened the door to the observation room and led them inside. "Ondine'll be in here shortly and you can watch the surgery from here."

John found a seat near the front, Anna taking his hand as she joined him. They both watched with baited breath as the gurney rolled into the room. Smocked and masked doctors and nurses filled the room, beginning immediately to work.

"John?" He turned to Anna, her low whisper coinciding with the squeeze of her hand on his. "When did you meet Green?"

"This morning, coming out of a conversation with Father Crawley." John adjusted in the chair to face her. "The man who recognized you at the carnival."

"He thought he knew me, he didn't recognize me."

"But do you know him?" John waited as Anna looked down at the floor. "I think, after what happened to our house and the boat that we need to be honest with one another."

"I do know Father Crawley and he might recognize me but it's been a long time since I've met him. I knew his oldest daughter growing up."

"Here?"

"No, in Yorkshire." Anna shrugged, "I don't know when their family moved here to Ireland since I was sure Robert Crawley hated the idea of moving anywhere else but he did."

"He joined the Catholic Church when it helped him get over his wife's death and moved here when the parish came available near his first granddaughter." John shook his head, "I guess we all search for peace where we can get it."

"How did Cora die?"

"Infection. Robert found her curled up in bed one night and rushed her to the A&E. They worked as hard as they could but when it perforated her colon there was nothing they could do. She died on the table." John gripped Anna's hand, "I just-"

"Ondine'll be fine." Anna assured him, "They're giving her a new chance to live and she'll be just fine. She's not going to die on that table."

"But what about you?" John cupped her hands in his, "How do you know Green? How does he know you? What does he want? Because I'm assuming he's the one who tore through the house and people don't usually do that unless they're looking for something."

"He is." Anna took a deep breath, "Green's looking for me."

"Why? What does he want Anna?"

"Something I have that I won't give him."

John sighed, "You already told me he's not your husband so it's not you."

"No."

"Then what is it?"

"If I tell you then you'll be responsible for it and I can't do that to you. Not after all you've done for me." Anna shook her head, "I couldn't be responsible for that."

"They've already been to my home, Anna. He's the reason my daughter's on a table right now with an incision in her." John jabbed his finger toward the window. "If he's some kind of jealous seal-man or water creature or whatever I need to know so I can protect my family. "

"He won't hurt Ondine."

"I wasn't just talking about Ondine." John took Anna's hand again, not speaking again until her eyes met his. "I mean all of my family Anna."

She stared at him a moment longer before nodding. "Alright. But I do need to speak with him. I need to send him away so he never harms us again."

"Would that cost me you?"

"No," Anna shook her head. "He's not that kind of stupid."

"But he is a kind of stupid?"

"We all are in a way." Anna smiled at him but it did not reach her eyes. "Like me believing I could be here without any consequences at all and trying to outrun what's always dragging just a few steps behind me."

"What's dragging behind you Anna?"

"Green is."

"Why?"

Anna took a deep breath, "I'm not a selkie, John. I'm as human as you or Ondine or anybody. I grew up in Yorkshire, outside of Whitby. I swam there as a child and I competed in swimming events from the time I was six so I'm a very strong swimmer.

"But, when I went to University my father died. My mother, desperate for money, married a man who abused her. I tried to do what I could to help but I couldn't do anything and when he thought I'd interfered he cut me off. Shortly afterward my mother died and my stepfather took everything she had and ran before they could investigate it. Even with their suspicions he did it there was no way to find him. I had no money, I still had to finish school, and I had nowhere to turn."

"Is that when you met Green?"

She nodded, "He offered me a chance to earn quik money and I was desperate so I took the chance. I should've just starved instead."

"Why?"

"Because Green peddles drugs." Anna closed her eyes, "Once he found out I could swim I became his mule. There'd be these boats, from the Netherlands, that would come close to the beach. I'd have to swim out and get the drugs and then swim back."

"How often was this?"

"Twice a month or so. Green would wait on shore and take the drugs. I don't know what he did with them after that except sell them and give me a cut of it." Anna swallowed, opening her eyes. "But, after awhile, he stopped paying me. When I confronted him about it he said the cost of my working for him was that he wouldn't turn me into the police for what I was doing."

"What?"

"I threatened him right back, said I'd turn on him but because I didn't know anything else about the business he called the bluff. I'd spend the next ten years of my life in prison for that."

"So you helped him?"

"I didn't have any other choice." Anna took her hand from his grip and pulled her knees to her chest on the chair. "So I went along with it. And when he wanted to bring his drugs to Ireland, cutting into the business here, he needed me to help him transport his supply."

"Is that how you ended up in my net?"

"The Coast Guard tracked the boat and Green couldn't swim so he had me take the drugs and jump into the water to try and make the shore while they boarded him." Anna managed a half-hearted laugh. "I underestimated the strength of your waves. I couldn't beat them and I got exhausted."

"You gave up?"

"I thought, for a moment, 'wouldn't this be easier? I'll just slip into the waves and vanish'. And so I did. I let myself relax and the current took me where it willed." Anna shrugged, "I passed out, lost the bag, and the next thing I knew I was on the deck of your boat breathing."

"And the drugs?"

Anna bit her lip, "Ondine thought they were my seal coat and had me bury it in your greenhouse."

"You buried drugs in my conservatory?"

"No, that's where they were." Anna met his gaze, "They're not there anymore."

"Was this before or after Green came and ransacked our house?"

"Before. I moved them after I saw him at the regatta. I couldn't take the chance he'd follow me." Anna snorted, "But he did that anyway."

"Is he still looking for them then?"

"That's my guess."

"So if we just gave him the drugs he'd go away?"

"No," Anna shook her head, "We need to end this forever. We can't just expect he'll leave us alone."

"Then what do we do?"

"When I started I didn't know anything about the business and Green was right when he threatened me. I didn't have anything on him then but that was his mistake." Anna straightened, "I remembered all the dates, times, and ship models from the nights I did retrieval. I grew up watching those boats and I found the ones that shipped the drugs."

"You know who's working with him?"

"He made the mistake of underestimating me the way I did the waves. I know enough know that I can finish off his business and hand him over NCA."

"Why haven't you?"

Anna let her gaze drift to the window and John followed it to see Ondine, still under the knife, before their eyes met again. "I found you both and I didn't want to leave. I thought I could bury my past with those drugs and forget who I was, be someone new. Be a part of your lives and make a new life. I wanted it so badly that for a moment I thought my wishes came true."

"Only for Green to show up again?"

"The news of a blonde woman no one'd ever seen before coming in on a boat got his attention since he'd been looking for me for awhile." Anna let out a breath, "And that's my story. The whole, sordid tale of Anna May Smith, presumed selkie but actual drug mule."

"I don't know." John took her hand again and turned her chin to have her face the window again. "Do you remember how you wished that Ondine would be cured?"

"Of course I do."

"That wish came true." John kissed her hands, "Mine can too."

"It doesn't work that way."

"Let me make a call and we'll see about that." John dug into his pocket for his mobile as the door to the observation room opened.

"Mr. Bates?" Both John and Anna stood as Sybil entered the room, "Your ex-wife's awake and asking for you."

"What about the other man, Green?" Anna's voice drew Sybil's attention and she shrugged.

"Far as I know he's still unconscious. He wasn't as badly injured, in general, but he's in pretty rough shape."

"When do they think he'll wake up?"

"No idea." Sybil twisted at the hip to check her pager. "I need to answer this but Mrs. Bates is in room 1912."

"Thank you." John bit at his lip, turning toward the observation windows a moment before Anna put a hand on his face.

"I'll watch her. I'll let you know if anything happens."

John nodded and left the room. He found his way to the specified room and knocked on the door. An older woman, dressed in a nurse's uniform that matched Sybil's, answered the door.

"I'm looking for Vera Bates."

"She's in here." The woman stepped back and pointed to the bed. "She's dozing right now but she's fine otherwise."

"Sybil said she'd shattered her leg."

"Among other things." The nurse checked her iPad and John noticed her badge read 'Crawley'. "They think she'll make a full recovery but she'll need a cane for awhile once she gets out of the wheelchair and the boot they've planned for her and a lot of physical therapy."

"But she'll make a full recovery?"

"From what we can predict, yes." Nurse Crawley lowered her iPad. "She was very lucky. The alcohol in her system slowed her responses and her body was loose enough to survive the impact."

"But not Mr. Carlisle?"

"He was the only one in the vehicle not wearing a seat belt." Nurse Crawley stepped outside the door, "I'll give you some privacy."

John smoothed his hands over his jacket and walked to Vera's bedside. He rested his hand on hers, as gently as he could, and whispered to her. "Vera?"

Her eyelids fluttered open and she turned to him. John tried to swallow back his wince at the cuts on her face, the swelling around one eye, and the purpling bruising around her jaw. Somehow, even with her body as battered and broken as it was, she managed a snort.

"Looking sad there Batesy. Maybe you should try to save your compassion for someone who wants it."

"Vera-"

"Don't pretend this won't make all your dreams come true."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'll lose Ondine for this." Vera sniffed and John's eyes widened at the sight of tears in Vera's eyes. "Once they process my blood-alcohol and my injuries you'll get full custody. I won't get her anymore and that'll be it. I'll lose my daughter because I was stupid."

"Someone told me earlier that we're all stupid." John gestured to Vera's body. "And you know you won't be in any state to care for Ondine. Especially when she's going to be recovering from surgery."

"Surgery?" Vera tried to sit up but hissed and laid back. "What surgery? What's wrong with my baby?"

"Nothing, everything's alright. She's getting the kidney transplant she needs and she's cured. She's going to be alright Vera."

"Ondine's going to be alright?"

John nodded, "She'll walk and run and play like everyone else. No more wheelchairs or dialysis or anything."

"How?"

John bit at his lip, "Richard didn't survive the accident. He died in the van on the way to hospital and he was an organ donor so they went to take his organs and found he's a match for Ondine."

"What'd you know," Vera gasped out, "The man I found after I left you fixed what you gave our daughter."

"Seems so." John sighed, ignoring the barb. "But she's going to be alright, that's what matters now."

"And you'll get her, like you always wanted."

"I never wanted her like this Vera. I didn't want to take her from you. I just wanted to be the father she deserved. To have a chance to watch my daughter grow everyday and not just when she needed something you didn't want to give."

Vera shut her eyes, "We've made a mess of this haven't we, you and I."

"You could say that." John sat back in his chair. "We need to stop hating one another, Vera. For Ondine if not for our own souls. She needs us, she's always needed us, and now we've a chance to change."

"Why now?"

"Because you both just avoided death. You should've died in that car, the three of you, but by some miracle you and Ondine survived. I'm taking that miracle with both hands and I'm running with it Vera." John sighed, and leaned forward, "Look, we missed our chance. You and I destroyed ourselves and whatever we once had and there's nothing to be done about that now. We burned the bridge we jumped off of a long time ago, that's a fact. But now we've got a chance to be better for her."

"You think I can be better?"

"I think you'll have to be." John opened his hand, motioning to her body. "You'll need help, Vera. Help I'm wiling to give because, despite what we're not to one another anymore, we're Ondine's parents. You're the mother of my child and for that there'll always be a part of me that loves you."

"It's a tiny part John."

"Doesn't mean it's not there." John offered her his hand, "Let me help you Vera. Do it for Ondine. Do it for the baby who's going to walk again, who'll never need dialysis again, who's going to grow old like we will."

Vera placed her hand gingerly in John's grip. "I'm not going to be easy."

"I know but that's not the point." John lightly squeezed and then placed her hand on the bed. "The point is that we're trying."

He made it to the door before Vera called out to him, "Tell Ondine that I'm sorry. I'm sorry for… everything."

"I will when she wakes up and bring her to see you the moment I can."

John worked his way back to the observation room, whistling when he checked the time and realized how late it was… or early. When he opened the door a smile took over his face as he noticed Anna curled up in a chair and breathing deeply. His hand on her shoulder woke her in a moment and she went to move but he stopped her.

"It's alright. They're still doing the surgery."

"How's Vera?" Anna extended her legs, cracking her neck and stretching.

"She's… changed."

Anna stopped, "For better or for worse."

"For better, at the moment, which I suspect has no small part owed to the medications suppressing her pain." John brushed Anna's hair back. "Will you come with me and do something?"

"What?"

"I want you to marry me."

"What?" Anna's smile riddled with suspicion.

"I want you to marry me, Anna. Right now. That way, no matter what happens in the coming days with Green and Vera and Ondine we're together."

"That's madness."

"Hear me out." John took a breath, "I want you to be my wife because after everything we've endured together we can't take these next steps as anything less than man and wife."

"We can't John."

"You don't think I'm strong enough?"

"I don't doubt your strength, John."

"Well then," John took Anna's hand, "Trust that I can do this. That's what I'm thinking. That if you can stick by me through the thick and thin-"

"I'm sure it's thin and thin."

"Anna," He waited until her eyes met his. "If we have to face what's inevitably coming when we confront Green then we're doing it as husband and wife. I won't have anyone or anything move me to the sidelines in this to watch you suffer from a distance with no right to even be kept informed. I'll be your next of kin, they won't be able to call me or Ondine to testify against you, and you can't deny us the opportunity to do what we can to protect and defend you."

John swallowed, clearing his throat past his tears. "Please don't deny me that."

Anna kissed John's hand in her grasp and put her other hand to his face. "Alright."

"Then follow me." As John led them to the small chapel he pulled his mobile from his pocket. It rang a few times before a bleary voice, gruffed in sleep, answered. "Father Crawley, would you come to the hospital chapel?"

They waited less than twenty minutes before Father Crawley, flanked by a smiling Sybil and a confused Nurse Crawley to serve as witnesses, pulled out his book and faced the smiling John and Anna.

"Dearly beloved, we gather here…"


	14. Blue Skies, Calm Seas

John waited at the edge of Ondine's bed, Anna asleep in the seat next to him. Ondine stirred and John sat up. His movement disturbed Anna and she snorted herself awake to immediately look at the blinking Ondine.

"What happened?" Ondine whispered with her hoarse voice and Anna hurried to get her a cup with water.

"You were in an accident when you drove home with your mother." John soothed, his hand rubbing over Ondine's hair. "She's alright but Richard didn't make it."

"How did I-"

"You wore your seatbelt." John leaned forward and kissed her head before laying kisses over her little hand. "You wore your seatbelt and then performed admirably in surgery."

"Surgery?"

"Your transplant came through." John guided her fingers to raised incision, held together by staples that made a little pattern under her hospital gown. "You're going to walk and move again."

"And swim." Anna reminded, offering another sip of water to Ondine.

"Can I see Ma?"

"When you're ready to leave hospital."

Ondine closed her eyes to groan, "That's not for another five days at least."

"You've got the television and we're bringing you books." John looked over at Anna, "And we'll visit you every day."

"I'll stay with you, if you want." Anna put her hand forward and Ondine caught it, noting the ring there.

"When did this happen?"

"Two days ago, while you were still recovering." John made a face, "I'm sorry we rushed it without telling you but we needed to get married rather quickly."

"Why?" Ondine frowned and John turned to Anna.

She swallowed, "Because I'm in a bit of trouble and we wanted to make sure you stayed safe."

"Did your seal husband come?"

"In a manner of speaking." Anna smiled at her, "I needed to make sure nothing would happen to you if it didn't go the way we hope."

"Then…" Ondine shrunk back into the pillows a bit. "Does that mean you're not a selkie?"

"I'm afraid it was."

"But it means you want to stay with us forever?"

"Yes it does and that's why we're doing this." John took one of Ondine's hands in his and the other he used to hold Anna's. "We're going to be together, even if it takes a bit of time for us to get there."

"Okay." Ondine reached for the remote and Anna passed it to her. "Then we'd best see what's happened in the world since I've been away."

She clicked the channels and landed on a Chinese soap opera. John groaned and Anna turned to him, "What?"

"She always does this. Picks random channels with languages she doesn't understand and starts pretending she knows what they're saying."

"She won't have to for this one." Anna moved to Ondine's side, stretching along the little girl's side and pointing up at the television. "I know what they're saying."

"No you don't."

"I do." Anna stuck her tongue out at him, "I studied Mandarin at school and I'm very good."

"Are you?" John put his elbow on the bed, resting his chin in his hand, "Then what's going on?"

"It's a drama and she's worried her mother in law doesn't like her." Anna turned to Ondine, "In Chinese culture that's a very serious concern."

"It's serious in any culture." John huffed, "My mother never liked Vera and that made life rather difficult all around."

"It's all about making two families compatible and that's not always possible." Anna shrugged, "I never got along with my step-father."

"We're not bound to them in the same way."

The drama moved to a commercial and John went to turn away but stopped. The music coming from the television sounded familiar. And it sounded even more familiar when Anna whisper-sang along. When she noticed him staring she turned to face him. "What?"

"This is what you've been singing, on the boat."

"It's one of my favorite Chinese songs." Anna smiled at him. "It's a song about love and living up to the fairy tale someone wanted in love."

"What's it called?"

"It's called 'Tong Hua' and it's beautiful."

"I know how beautiful it is." John reached over and held her hand. "I've heard it a few times."

She squeezed his hand back before putting her arm around Ondine and settling back into the pillows with her. "Oh, it's back on."

John huffed and sat back in his chair.

* * *

A few days later they entered the police station, Anna clinging tightly to John's arm. He rubbed his fingers over her hand, trying to soothe her but noticed the tremor in his own hand. They waited together, only whispering half sentences or single words to one another until a woman called them into the bowels of the building. She escorted them to an office and had them wait in the available chairs, John giving Anna the better looking of the two.

He gripped her hand, tapping the edge of the hard wooden chair arm with his fingers. Anna crossed over his body, grabbing his other hand and forcing him to meet her eyes. "Please stop."

"Sorry." He adjusted, "The last time I was in an office like this it didn't go well."

"What exactly were you doing there Mr. Bates?" Anna trilled, her fingers tracing over his hand. "Something devious I hope."

"It was a bit daring." John admitted and moved his hand out of her grasp. "If you keep doing that we'll end up stuck in her for a whole different reason."

"Sounds exciting." Both jumped as a tall, lanky man entered the office. 'But I'd rather you didn't since this is a newer desk."

"Mr. Talbot, I'm guessing." John stood and held out his hand to the man. "They told us you were the one to speak to about… this."

"They told you right." Talbot shook Anna's hand as well. "Although I'm curious what either of you would know about international drug smuggling."

"Don't we seem the type?" John pointed to himself and Anna to have Talbot laugh.

"I'm not one to judge seeing I as caught an eighty-year-old Pakistani woman a few years ago smuggling heroin into the country in herb boxes." Talbot tapped a few keys on his computer and then pulled a recorder from his desk drawer to set on the desk between them. "I get the feeling, however, that you two've got a bit more to tell me."

"We do." Anna shifted in her seat. "What do you know about a man named Alex Green?"

Talbot puffed his cheeks with air and then blew out slowly while shrugging. "I know he's in town and the Yorkshire NCA's got a bit of a thing for him. Suspected of supplying more than a few people with some dangerous recreational materials that led to the deaths of three university students last year."

"And nothing happened?" John shook his head, "Why not?"

"It's a bit of a rough go when you need more evidence than you have available to prosecute."

"What if I could give you the evidence you'd need?" Anna leaned forward, "What would that be worth to you and your counterparts in Yorkshire?"

Talbot's eyebrows brushed the top of his forehead. "I guess the better question, Ms. Smith-"

"It's Mrs. Bates, actually." Anna held up her hand, "For the record, official or no."

"My apologies," Talbot ducked his head toward them, "My congratulations."

"Thank you."

"But to continue my question, the best response I can give you is to ask what it's worth to you."

"Immunity or whatever it is I can get that keeps me out of prison and doesn't reflect on my family."

Talbot opened his mouth to make an 'ah' sound. "Hence the wedding. Mr. Bates here can't testify to anything as that'd be equal to him testifying against himself and your daughter would be immune to prosecution as well."

"That was the idea."

"Then I'm guessing you're not coming here to blow smoke up my ass about anything and that you're very serious." Talbot leaned back to whistle, "You must be very confident in what you're about to give me."

"I can give you the drugs Alex Green wanted to bring into this country as a test batch as well as the dates and times of the shipments he received while I worked for him in Yorkshire." Anna hung her head, "I was one of his mules."

"Not a dealer?"

"I didn't have the face for it."

"But you did have the body." Talbot held up a hand as John rose from his chair, "Swimming, Mr. Bates. I'm aware of Ms. Smith's prowess when I looked you both up before coming into this office. I wouldn't dare comment on her appearance in such a crass way."

"Thank you." John settled back in his chair. "But will that deal work?"

"I think it'll be more than enough. We can check the information on the shipping routes from here right now and then arrange a time for Anna to turn over the drugs."

"Other than getting them off the street, what'll that prove?" John frowned, "I'm sorry, I just don't understand that part."

"They serve a few purposes actually. First we can test them against batches we've found in other places. Everything, even water, is unique in its formulation. We can trace the origin of the drugs through the dealers to the production houses to the farm where the poppy grew. With a small amount we can map where every particle of a batch has been on its long journey." Talbot shrugged, "Second purpose of it is proof of intent to sell or distribute. Third, it proves Mrs. Bates here isn't just spinning a story."

"Won't it come back to bite us in the ass later, when they bring it up in court?"

"I'm sure it will but we'll worry about leaping off that particular bridge when we come to it." Talbot pushed a pad of paper and a pen to Anna. "If you wouldn't mind, Mrs. Bates, please write down what you know in as much detail as possible."

Anna took the pen as Talbot stood. "Mr. Bates, I think we'll only make her nervous if we stay. Mind stepping outside with me?"

John shot a look at Anna before nodding, "Sure."

They left the office, Talbot burying his hands in his pockets as he snuck a glance through the glass of his office at Anna. He tipped his head in her direction, "Brave woman you've got there."

"Yes she is."

"They say she washed up in your net?" Talbot made a face, "I find that hard to believe."

"So did I at the time but she said she'd got caught in the waves and passed out from exhaustion."

"That makes sense." Talbot scuffed a line in the rough carpet with his shoe before looking at John again. "I hope you don't find what I'm about to say… impertinent, but I need to tell you something I don't know if I can tell Mrs. Bates."

"What?" John tensed, "Is it about her deal?"

"No, no, heavens no." Talbot shook his head, "Our system's going to be very generous to her for a number of reasons."

"Because of her information?"

"That and she's pretty and married. It's a bit hard to swallow sometimes but prettier women with more 'stabilizing ties', shall we say, tend to appeal to the instinct of the jury. She'll have no problem swinging free on this." Talbot swallowed, "It's more about Mr. Green."

"What about him?"

"You're aware that Mrs. Bates has a stepfather, yes?"

"Yes but she's not had contact with him since University and then he vanished after the death of her mother."

"Yes he did and we believe it's partly because he was guilty of her murder."

John nodded, "She suspects the same."

"But see," Talbot shuffled in place, "I think he's still out there."

"Why?"

"There was something a bit… convenient about Green finding a strong swimmer suddenly in need of a source of income that I thought deserves some investigating."

"What did you find?"

Talbot ruffled his hair a bit. "It's all still circumstantial and, I'll be honest, most of my superiors and fellows here think it's a long shot, but I think her step-father is actually the head of Green's operation."

"What makes you so sure?"

"There's something… skeezy about him." Talbot shrugged, "Call it a hunch but there's too much coincidence for me to ignore it."

"I tend to think coincidence shouldn't be ignored."

"Which is why I'm devoting energy and resources to hunting down our elusive Mr. Bricker." Talbot turned another glance toward Anna in the office, still writing steadily as she lifted another page to continue. "He's not the kind of man one usually suspects for this, which is why I suspect him all the more."

"Like your Pakistani woman?"

"Just like that." Talbot sighed, "The worst part about that case was that the poor woman thought her nephew in Pakistan was just sending her home remedies she couldn't get here to give to her son."

"Family drug trade?"

"It's often the people we suspect the least who get used for that exact reason." Talbot rolled his shoulders back and stretched, "Mind a cup of tea? She'll hopefully be in there for a stretch more. I can't promise anything about the state of the tea since most of what we've got funding for is shite but we could manage something."

"I'll pass, thank you." John jerked his thumb toward the window, "When she's done we're going to get my daughter from hospital."

"Congratulations then." Talbot went to move away but stopped, "And you made the right choice."

"About coming here?"

"No," Talbot shook his head. "About marrying her."

"Why's that?"

"Because then you won't have to testify against her and, in all technicality, they could prosecute you for harboring a fugitive."

"I didn't know she was one."

Talbot managed a sly smile, "You wouldn't have married her if you didn't know, Mr. Bates, but since you'll never have to testify to that effect we can both pretend that's true."

"I guess we can Mr. Talbot." John shook his hand, "It was a pleasure to meet you. And thank you, for all you're doing."

"Unfeeling as it may sound, I'm just doing my job." Talbot raised a hand as he walked away, "But I'll take your gratitude all the same."

John found a seat outside Talbot's office and jerked himself awake when his head started to dip. Anna's hand on his shoulder startled him and he stood quickly. "Everything alright?"

"Everything's fine." She assured him, "Mr. Talbot's already verified the dates, times, and locations so we're free to go for now."

"For now?"

"He's arranged it so he won't demand the hand off of the drugs until he's got the signed form offering me the immunity I asked for." Anna shrugged, "Until then we're free to go but he wants us to stay in town."

"We'll have to since we've got two invalids who need our help."

"And you've got a business to run." Anna looped her arm through his, walking out of the office far lighter than they had been walking in. "Which brings me to a proposal."

"What's that?"

"Let me be nursemaid." Anna held up a hand as John started to argue and she danced in front of him to stop his progress toward the driver's side door on the truck. "You and I both know you've got to take care of your work and I've nothing else to do now that we've cleaned up the mess that Green left. More to the point I can drive between your home and Vera's-"

"That's sweet but you've two problems there."

"Oh?" Anna put her hands to her hips, "And what are those?"

"First, Vera's staying with her friend. She'll be there until she can manage crutches around her house." John ticked up his fingers, "Second, you don't need to be anyone's nursemaid."

"I do." Anna insisted and put a hand on John's arm. "I've nothing to do, for one, and two being that I'm Ondine's stepmother now. I want to help."

John sighed, "I don't want you to feel you have to."

"There's no 'have to' when it comes to Ondine." Anna soothed him. "She's just as lovely as you… if not more so."

"Thank you very much." John laughed with her, kissing her quickly before directing her toward the passenger side. "Speaking of, if we don't hurry she'll think we left her in that hospital bed to wither and die."

"She can be quite dramatic can't she?" Anna opened her door, "I wonder who she learned that from."

* * *

John pulled the door closed on Ondine's room and tiptoed back to where Anna sat on the sofa, scrunching her forehead as she read through Ondine's schoolwork. She held it up for John to see. "Do you see what they're giving her to do?"

"It's just maths."

"It's impossible, is what it is." Anna turned the page, "I hope you're better with figures than me because I'll be no help at all."

"They've got that… Khan Academy or whatever online don't they?" John settled next to her, "Use that."

"I'll have to." Anna put the book back, "This is why I didn't go for Maths at A-Levels. Leave that to other people."

"What did you do you're A-Levels in?"

"Literature, Biology, and Mandarin."

"And you're complaining about not understanding maths?" John tickled at Anna but she squirmed away. "Did you finish University?"

"I did… and once I finished it was on to find another job but I was struggling to cover costs in the interim and, well, it's not easy to find work as a translator for a government entity when you're helping to sell drugs on the side." Anna shrugged. "I guess I never really thought about a job after that since I don't have anything to really put on a CV."

"You could always throw in with me." John suggested, "It's a hard life but it's a good one. The money's not always steady but I'm good with it and I know how to stretch it. More to the point, we've got opportunities to move to other places where you could find a job."

"Do you want to move?"

"No, but if you ever wanted to."

Anna leaned over, placing her hand on his cheek, and kissed him. As she pulled back she stroked his cheekbone. "You are, without a doubt, the sweetest man I've ever met John Bates."

"I'm glad you think so." John crawled toward her, "Would you like me to show you how sweet I think you are?"

"Your daughter is in the next room!" Anna hissed as John pulled her onto his lap. "I'd rather she not come in if we're…"

"Having sex?" John kissed at her neck as Anna dug her fingers into his shirt to stop herself reacting.

"I was going to say," Anna managed to gasp, "In a difficult situation."

"Then I guess," John lowered his voice to a whisper, kissing behind her ear, "We'll need to be very quiet."

"You're incorrigible."

"But you like that?" John pulled back, lifting an eyebrow, "Right?"

"I thought, Mr. Bates," Anna leaned forward, rubbing her hips against his tenting trousers. "We had to be quiet."

Their hands slipped and they giggled in their attempts to remove shirts and trousers and soon John found himself stuffing his fist into his mouth to keep from laughing when they both tumbled in opposite directions on the sofa. But the position allowed Anna to kick her knickers free and toss her bra away before yanking at his pants.

When Anna retook her position, straddling John's legs, they were still giggling as quietly as possible. As her hand slipped around him, however, the mood changed. They stared at one another, the smiles fading in inverse proportion to the growing glow in their eyes, and John snaked his hands to take a hold on her ass while the other slipped through her folds. She bit her lip in response to his motions and tightened her hold on him at the same time.

They moved slowly, building one another to a frenzy they answered with kick kisses or digging fingers. John's lips and tongue traced and sucked her breasts, exulting in the keening cries Anna released as quietly as possible. Her response to his teasing was to lift completely off him and retake her position with her back to him. He groaned and drove into her, kissing over her back until she sobbed a climax.

Turning Anna back around, John drove in as deeply as he could but with Anna coming down from her high it meant she regained her senses. Enough to tease him by drawing farther away and making it harder for him to find release before returning to taunt him with kisses that sucked at his tongue. John fought for a hold and then surrendered to her perfect seduction.

Soon it was too much to bear and Anna lifted herself enough to sink down on him fully, their heads tilting back to haul in air before they buried their groans of pleasure in the other's mouth, and moved. Hips met as solidly as possible but it was in Anna's hands to rise and fall or bob and twist as she could. All of it only making John harder and sending the hairs all over his body standing on end as he rose and higher and higher.

He kept his hands moving at her core, manipulating and circling to bring out the panting whimpers that drove him faster. Anna responded in kind as she shifted her knees to take John deeper while lengthening her strokes. She pulled him to the very edge of her entrance only to drive back down, sending his eyes rolling back into his head.

His insistent grip sent her over the edge again, hissing at the sink of her teeth into his shoulder, and followed shortly after with a few more thrusts before he stuttered to a stop. They breathed together a moment as John dotted sloppy and misaimed kissed from her lips to her breasts and back. Anna managed a laugh before pushing away enough to see him.

"In other circumstances, Mr. Bates, I might think you wanted to go another round with me."

"I'm always ready for another round with you, Mrs. Bates." John grinned at her. "But in our own bed, after a shower, and where I can let you be a little louder."

"That sounds like a plan."


	15. Albatross

John coiled the rope and tossed it aboard and went to grab the last lead as someone called his name. He turned and noted Green coming down the dock, a distinct frown etching over his face and marring his features. With a sigh John put his foot on the lead rope and folded his arms over his chest.

"Where'd you get that nerve?"

"Nerve for what?"

"Nerve to try and out me to the police."

"Inbred, with all the rest of the passion of the Irish in my blood." John raised an eyebrow. "What do you want?"

"I want to know what you told the police." Green jabbed a finger near John's face. "What lies you fed them so that they're now asking me questions about things we both know I didn't do."

"I don't think there's ever going to be a _we_ where you and I are concerned." John snorted, "Unless it's to say that _we're_ both going to think this conversation is an absolute waste of our time."

"Answer my question," Green stabbed John in the chest with his finger. "What lies did you tell them about me?"

"I think what you mean is what truths did we tell them."

Green managed a snort of his own, "I know you couldn't have told the truth because to do that would be to tell them your precious Anna's part in it all."

"That's the difference between people like you and Anna. She admitted to everything."

"Everything?"

"Every detail, down to the tiniest dusting of whatever poison you're trying to pump into people's veins for profit." John scoffed at him, "Especially about the part you conned her into playing in it all."

"You think they'll let her off so easily?"

"I think they'll be willing to give her a chance they won't give you." John looked around, "Though how you're walking free is a mystery to anyone."

"I made bail."

"They must not've set it high enough."

"You've made a big mistake Mr. Bates." Green was almost close enough to touch John. "I don't just mean by marrying that whore."

John gritted his teeth and the muscle in his jaw twitched. "I'd make sure the next words I said were chosen very carefully."

'There's about as much care here as there needs to be and it's this." Green's nose practically touched John's. "She doesn't belong here and she doesn't belong with you."

"As evidenced by the fact I married her, I'd say I think differently." John shook his head, practically sneering at the little man before him. "You're finished anyway so why don't you just run away and hide in some hole or something until they come to collect your miserable corpse?"

"You think you can chase me off?" Green stepped back and wiggled his fingers, "Scare me with some kind of threat?"

"It's not a threat. It's a warning." John crowded Green to the edge of the dock. "For now only the police want you and, with a good lawyer, you'll last maybe three years in prison. But if you come near my family or threaten them in any way, there won't be a dark place on the face of this earth you can hide where I won't hunt you down and skin you alive."

"What's a fisherman going to do to me?" Green's hand trembled in its white-knuckled hold on the post.

John glanced down at it and gave a chuckle. "I think I forgot to tell you how I'm so good with boats. I was in the Royal Navy you see, their Special Forces division. Do you know what that means?"

"No."

"It means I can take the filet knife in the cabin of my boat and peel the skin from your bones while you're still alive." John stepped back, "Can you swim, Mr. Green?"

"Can't everyone?"

"No, not everyone." John twitched his lips at him in a weak smile. "Get gone, Mr. Green, and don't bother me or mine again."

John grabbed the last rope, threw it onboard his boat, and followed after it. He caught sight of Green as his boat slipped into the grip of the water but John cast the small man out of his mind. His only focus was on the water and the possible bounty offered there.

When John steered his boat into the dock of his home inlet he smiled at the sight of the lights blinking cheerily from inside. Jumping to the dock, he grabbed the ropes and tied his boat in place before making his way to the house. He rapped on the door and smiled at the sight of Anna when it opened. His face fell immediately when he noticed she did not return his expression.

"Anna?"

"We've a guest." She stepped back and John sighed at the sight of Vera, chatting from her position in John's chair while Ondine rested on the sofa.

John eased into the house and moved toward the sitting room. Vera looked up as he kissed Ondine on the head and smiled at him. "Glad to see you finally made your way here."

"I've been working, Vera, like always."

"And your wife puts up with that?" Vera flicked her gaze toward Anna, just visible around the wall that led to the kitchen. "I wonder how she whiles away her time when Ondine's at school."

"Don't be crude Vera." John lifted Ondine and sat her on his lap. "Anna's got her own hobbies and she doesn't mind the work that I do."

"That's what women say." Vera turned to Ondine, "Do you mind if your father and I talk?"

"About what?" John frowned and noted Ondine did not move.

"About my plans." Vera's hand moved over the cane in her grip. "There's nothing for me here and my friend, Angela, wants to start up something in London. Says she's got a place for me in her shop and wants me to take it."

"So?"

"I want Ondine to come with me."

"What?"

"I want Ondine to come with me." Vera ran her fingers over her cane. "Honestly John, I thought you were quicker than this."

"Why do you want Ondine with me?"

"Because she'd have a better chance for a future in London. She'll have more opportunities for schooling and… everything else."

John managed a laugh, "I think the worst part about that is you don't even know what you want from her in London."

"I'm right here." Ondine craned her head back to see John. "Does no one care what I want?"

"The grownups are talking, Ondine." Vera held up a hand but John turned to Ondine.

"Do you want to go to London with your mother?"

"I don't want to go to London at all." Ondine turned to Vera. "I know why you're doing this but you can't take care of me."

"Ondine," Vera chided, "Show me some respect."

"You've never shown it to me." Ondine bristled and John adjusted his grip on her to keep her from moving.

"Ondine," he tried to warn but she ignored him.

"You had Da take me to every appointment, every dialysis, every inconvenience for you and then you'd latch your claws in when you could use it to your advantage. You never cared about when I was in pain or sick or crying. You'd just drink and smoke and f-"

"Ondine I won't have you saying that in my house." John warned and Ondine silenced but the rage quivered through her small body. "Now you've said your piece, like you deserve to, but you've got to give your mother chance to respond."

"She had her chance. You had over eleven years of chances." Ondine shifted on the couch, looking up as Anna entered the room, wiping her hands on a dishtowel. "Anna, could you help me to my room?"

"I can." Vera offered but Ondine glared her into her seat.

"You're injured and crippled. You're no help to anyone and you've never been a help to me."

John bit at the inside of his cheek, standing to help Ondine. "I'll take her."

"No," Anna waved him off. "I think you've got a conversation to finish."

He sat back down and waited until Anna and Ondine had closed the door to Ondine's room before turning to Anna. "I don't know what you expected but I think you knew this was what was coming."

"And you're enjoying every minute of it?" Vera sneered and tried to stand but her cane slipped and John had to grab her arm to stop her falling over. "Get off me."

"Sit down." John helped her back into the seat. "Now you got off easy in the hearing. You and I know it and you also know you don't want Ondine with you in London."

"But I do."

"No, you've just recovered from your bout of self pity and moment of weakness to try and take Ondine back because you're upset that I'm happy." John sighed, "The court won't let you take her without my permission anyway."

"I could-"

"You won't fight it." John tramped down her argument. "You've not got the time nor the energy to put up with a legal battle. Especially since you recklessly endangered our daughter by drinking and driving."

"The other man ran into me."

"It doesn't matter who ran into whom. What matters is that they won't let you have her after you so blithely put her in danger." John stood, "And I won't sign anything that would give you the right to have her again. I don't trust you anymore than they do."

"You'd deny me my own daughter?"

"Isn't that what you've done to me our entire divorce?" John shook his head, "I offered you the olive branch and you've come here to spit in my face?"

"I won't have my daughter growing up around a drug dealer!" Vera finally got the cane under her and threw her finger in the direction of Ondine's bedroom.

"And I won't have her forgotten under the influence of your drinking, your smoking, or whatever boyfriend you're screwing." John shouted her down. "Now we'll arrange visitation and find ways to either get her there or get you here. When you're visiting here it'll be under the same rules the court set, either me or Anna with you at all times."

"That's the pot calling the kettle black."

John ignored her, "And when she's in London I'll take her and whatever activities or plans you have'll have to be approved by me." He waited, "Do you understand?"

Vera snarled, "You think your drug dealer wife is better than me?"

"Circumstances Vera. She chose not to be destroyed by hers and you let yours run you over." He stepped to the side, "Now get out and don't come here again unless you call first. That's what the court ordered and you know it."

"Right, because you'd come back from your precious boat to supervise a visit."

"I'd do anything for my daughter, that's what fathers do."

Vera only snorted and limped herself out the door. John locked it behind her and rested his head against it before turning toward Ondine's room. Once there he knocked on the doo and waited for it to open.

This time Anna's face held more joy. She turned over her shoulder a moment and then faced him again. "She says there's a password or something. I'm not entirely sure what that means."

"It's 'Open Sesame' and she can come out now since her mother's gone."

"Oh, in that case." Anna opened the door and John walked in to see Ondine under the sheet she strung between the wall and her desk chair. "I guess he's welcome in this place, my lady."

"He sent the witch away."

John sighed, easing himself to the floor. "That's no way to talk about your mother."

"She's nothing like a mother." Ondine turned a page in her book but John noted her eyes never looked at it, just flipped idly through the pages. "She treats me like a toy when she bothers to acknowledge my existence at all."

"I know." John took a deep breath, "Do you remember what I told you about Daniel?"

Ondine turned to him, "You mean my older brother?"

"That's him." John swallowed. "Your mother and I weren't responsible enough when he was coming and he didn't live."

"I know that part."

"But you don't know what it did to your mother." John took her hand, "She didn't know what to do with her grief and so she blamed me. She blamed me because there was no one else to blame. And when we were pregnant with you I made her change herself in ways she didn't appreciate."

"It was for me though…" Ondine shook her head, "Why couldn't she change for me?"

"Some people are so tormented that they can't look past their own pain. Your mother's been through a lot of things."

"That's no excuse."

"No," John agreed, "It's not. But it is an explanation and it's made her who she is. Let's just pray that one day she can find someone who'll help her want to change."

"Why couldn't I be enough?" Ondine sniffed and John scooted into the space to hold her to him.

"I don't know." He pulled his fingers through her hair. "But you need to know that you're enough for me."

Ondine snuggled into his chest, peeking under his arm. "And Anna?"

John craned his head over his shoulder to beckon Anna over. "Of course. We're a family, the three of us, and we'll always be enough for each other."

* * *

John waved to Ondine, bending at the knees to catch her as she jumped into his arms. He lifted her a moment before groaning and setting her back down. "Weren't you supposed to be light? I remember you much lighter."

"That's not something you tell a lady!" Ondine mocked fury but beat John to the truck. "I thought Anna was coming to get me."

"She was but the I got back early and told her I'd come and get you."

"What's she doing then?"

"Well," John buckled himself in and turned to him. "She's been talking to Mrs. Hughes and they've decided that Anna can be their bookkeeper since their bookkeeper got married and is moving to Dublin."

"Gwen got married? When?"

"When you were still in hospital recovering." John steered them onto the back roads toward home. "But her husband got a new job there and Anna needs something to do."

"Does Anna want to keep the books?"

"For now it's something until she finds what she wants to do." John drove them closer to home. "She'll find what she's wants and when she's knows then we'll know."

"What if she wants to move back to England?"

"I don't think she will."

"It's her home though."

John laughed, "We're her home now."

"So she'd never want to go back?"

"There's nothing for her there and we're here." John smiled but as he turned back to the house he frowned. "Ondine, has Anna been gardening in the conservatory?"

"She's doing vegetables in there but she's not been in there recently." Ondine, pushed herself up from her seat. "Why?"

"Because the door's open." John parked the truck. "Stay in here and lock the doors please."

"Why?"

"Because I want a look around to make sure everything's alright." John put a hand on her head and pulled it close to kiss it. "I'll be right back okay?"

He left the truck, tapping the window until Ondine locked the doors. Walking to the house, John pulled out his keys but when he pushed at the door he noticed the broken lock. John frowned and walked into the house.

An overturned chair near the table caught his attention and he righted it. But he noticed the broken dishware on the counter, the ripped blanket from the sofa, and the cracked pane in the window of the back door. His trail led him out the back and toward the creaking door of the greenhouse as it hung on rusting and now bent hinges. He pushed it open and listened a moment. As something that sounded like sobbing reached his ears.

"Anna?" John walked deeper into the greenhouse and noticed a table shift. He crouched and saw Anna cowering behind it, hand practically clawing at the wall behind her. "Anna?"

"Don't look at me." She covered her face with her hands and tried to get away from him but she backed herself into a corner.

John held up his hands, moving gingerly over the floor. "Anna, what happened?"

"I…" She shook her head and curled into a ball. "I can't… I can't…"

"Anna, who did this to you?"

"He told me I didn't belong here." Her fingers clenched over her eyes, as if she could try and claw them out. "He said I needed to leave, to take back what I'd said, and never say anything ever again."

"What?" John reached forward to touch one of Anna's hands but she twisted away from him. "Anna, it's me."

"It's not… it's not you." Anna risked a peek at him through her fingers. "It's me. He said if I don't leave, disappear forever, he'd kill you both and make me watch. Before he… before…"

Anna dissolved into sobs again, her body twitching and quivering as she desperately sought to sink into the very earth itself. John edged closer and finally managed to place a hand on her shoulder. In that moment she stiffened but in the next she clung to him and it was all John could do to hold her as she cried.


	16. Rime of the Ancient Mariner

John knocked on the door and waited for the soft voice inside to bid him enter. He nudged the door open with his shoulder and entered slowly. Anna had her knees up in the bed, writing something in a book. She looked up as he entered and put the book aside but she did not smile.

"How are you feeling?" John set the tray near her on the bed and stepped back a pace.

"Better. Doctor Clarkson said that Sybil did a very good job with my stiches and I'll be healed up in less than a week."

"And what did Doctor Seward say?"

"She's… not as enthusiastic." Anna gripped the book tightly enough that her fingers whitened. "She thinks I need a change of pace for a time."

"But the trial?"

"Mr. Talbot came by while you were out." Anna set the book down on the table next to the bed. "He said that Green's vanished and since they can't find him then my story's nothing but good reading for someone and a desperate cry for help for others."

"What'll they do with it?"

"They've decided on community service. It's a little thing I can do and then they'll use my testimony if they ever catch him."

"But they will catch him?"

Anna shrugged, "Given that he slipped them the first time on drug charges I doubt it."

"And… the other charges?"

"You can say 'rape' John. It's a word, like any other. It's only got the power we give it."

"I didn't want…"

"I know." Anna took a deep breath, "I think we need to talk about that."

"What?"

"I've been thinking, after conversations with Doctor Seward, and I need to go away from here."

"This is your home Anna."

"But it's not… it's not the same anymore." Anna waved a hand toward the back garden. "I can't even go in there without thinking that maybe I…"

"It's okay." John reached for her hand but she drew it away.

"It's not, John. It's not okay and we need to stop pretending that it is." Anna closed her eyes, evening her breathing after her outburst. "I can't be here when I feel like I'm not breathing or that I'm… I can't feel like I'm suffocating here."

"I can-"

"No, John, it's not… It's not something you can fix."

John sat back, nodding. "I know. I just… I just want to help."

"Can you call Father Crawley to come?"

"Father Crawley?" John frowned, "You're not Catholic though."

"I need to talk to him about something else." Anna pulled the book back into her hands. "I need to get back to this work. Mrs. Hughes needs the numbers by tonight and if I don't have them then… well, she's depending on me and I can't let her down."

"I understand." John pointed to the tray. "Lunch is there."

"I can get to the kitchen myself John."

"I know." He held up his hands, "But I'll be late and Ondine might not be too interested in making food so I wanted to make sure you had something."

"Are you going out?"

"Yeah. Just fishing in the bay but I'll have my mobile so you can reach me if you need anything."

"I'll call if I need something." Anna pulled the book back to her, "Thank you."

John raised his hand as if to say something else but just nodded. "Okay."

He walked out of the room, pulling the door closed behind him. John stopped, his fingers tracing over the lock there as his eyes wandered over the plain wood. His feet planted and John only had enough energy to rest his head on the solid material. The weak thump of his head on the material echoed in the caress of his hand over the grains.

"I'm here Anna. I'll always be here."

No response came from the door and John pushed off it to leave the house. His steps fell heavily on the gravel as he walked to the dock and even heavier when he hit the deck of his boat. The motions were those practiced over years of work and even his steering followed the influence of instinct instead of focus.

John guided the boat out farther than he ever took it and noted none of the other boats around. He dropped the nets and started a slow track while pulling out his mobile. The number dialed after a moment and John worked it up to his ear, managing the gears and wheels one-handed. He plugged in a pair of earbuds and worked one into his ear before dropping the mobile into the large pocket at the front of his coveralls.

"Father Robert Crawley speaking."

"Father, it's John."

"John?" The line crackled a moment. "Are you out at sea? Your reception's horrible."

"I was actually hoping you'd go visit my wife."

"Is she ill?"

"More in spirit and mind than body I think." John stopped the boat, his eyesight misting and a choke forming in his throat. "She's leaving me Rob."

"She'd never do that John."

"She's… she wants you to come and talk to her because she needs to find a new place. Somewhere she's not reminded of what happened." John hacked a sob, wiping at his eyes with the back of his hand. "She can barely look at me and her therapist suggested going somewhere else."

"A retreat isn't the end of the world John."

"She'll never come back. Not if she finds peace there."

"Who said she'd like it better there than with you?"

"She's not even returned me touching her hand, Rob. It's been three months and all she does when I'm in the same room is avoid me."

"What about Ondine?"

John shrugged, even though he was the only one to see it. "They talk but it's all surface stuff. It's like the Anna from before died and we've only got a shell in her place. A shell that won't crack and show us that there's anyone there anymore."

"You know there is."

"I don't think she can see it Robert." John sat back in his chair, closing his eyes to track the roll of his tears down his cheeks by the sensation of the slightest hint of tickle. "She only sees what happened, over and over again."

"Did she tell you that?"

"No. But I hear her nightmares. I get them through the walls and it's… it's not getting better. Even after we started going to see Doctor Seward."

"Damn. I thought she could help."

"I don't think she knows how to help."

"You don't trust her credentials?"

"I think the person has to want to be helped."

John heard the silence on the other end of the line. "You don't think Anna wants to be helped?"

"I think Anna believes she deserved it. That this is payment for her life before or something ridiculous."

"She told you that?"

"I…" John squirmed in his seat. "She's been keeping a diary, for Doctor Seward, and she'd left it on the table once. As I shut the book I read a few lines."

"John!"

"It was accidental but I saw it there in black and white… or bluish purple and white I guess."

"Oh John…" Robert's exhale echoed tinnily through the speaker. "I'll go talk to her. But you know, I can't tell you anything."

"I wouldn't ask you to unless there was something I needed to do. Something I could solve."

"That's the problem with us men, isn't it? We're not good with a problem unless we can solve it." Robert sighed, "But this one isn't as easily fixed John and that's the hardest part I think."

"The time?"

"Having to watch someone heal themselves enough to trust you to help heal them. You see it with addictions and self-mutilations and eating disorders. They've got to cross the Rubicon on their own and then you can help them. They won't accept it before that."

"What do I do until then?"

"Love her, wait, and accept that she's walking the road she thinks best."

"But it's-"

"I know, it's probably not the best. It'll alienate those who love her, it'll drive away the help she needs but she doesn't know that yet. She's still got to figure it out for herself… and we've got to help her."

"Just," John closed his eyes, sighing over the phone, "Just text me when you've visited her. And if there is anything you can tell me…"

"You'll be the first to know John, I promise."

"Thank you Robert."

"It's what friends do John."

John ended the call and winched up the net. Without Anna there it was not nearly as full as it used to be but John emptied it and worked farther and farther out. His phone vibrated in his pocket and John winched the net again, the gains larger than his whole day to that point, and checked the call as he dumped the fish in the tank.

Reading it quickly he replaced the phone in his front pocket and steered toward the main harbor. The mood with Mrs. Hughes crackled like ice but John busied himself counting the fish along with her and accepted the receipt without another word. In fact he was almost back to his boat before Mrs. Hughes finally caught up to him.

"Mr. Bates, I think there's something you need to know."

John frowned and turned to her, hand digging in his pocket to pull out the receipt. "Is there something wrong with my catches?"

"No, you're catches are fine and the pay is fair."

"I'd never accuse you of anything less than that."

"It's about… it's about Anna." Mrs. Hughes tapped her clipboard against the flat of her hand before gripping it as if she needed the weight there to get her through whatever she planned to say.

"What about Anna?"

"There's been a man asking question about her recently."

"What'd he look like?" John tightened his jaw and the receipt crumpled in his hand as his fingers clenched almost on instinct.

"Tall, I'd say skinny but it's more like the man's a bean pole, and a long face."

"Like he's disappointed in something?"

Mrs. Hughes shook her head, "It's more like his face is stretched. Fits with his overall demeanor but it makes his eyes bug out from his head a bit. Do you know him?"

"No." John shook his head, "He's not who I thought you were talking about."

"Who then?" Mrs. Hughes frowned but John waved her off."

"It's not important. What'd he want?"

"Just said he'd heard there was an Anna Smith, recently moved here, and said he was looking for her."

"Why'd he come to you?"

"Someone in town said she worked as our bookkeeper and he inquired." Mrs. Hughes shivered, "Something about him gave me the worst kind of feeling. Like I was talking to a snake."

"If we believe the _Harry Potter_ books I read with Ondine then those people actually exist." John sighed, "Did he leave a name or an address or anything?"

"Nothing like that. Said to tell her, if I saw her, that someone was looking for her and she'd know what that meant."

"How cryptically vague."

"I know." Mrs. Hughes agreed quickly. "People watch too many movies. Makes them think every time they get into a car they're in some Furiously Fast movie or something and that their lives are underplayed by a soundtrack."

John laughed, "It's _Fast and Furious_ , Mrs. Hughes, but I know what you mean."

"This man though…" Mrs. Hughes risked a hand away from her steading clipboard to rub her arms. "He seemed serious. Like those Russian men who came for three weeks last year."

"The ones who stalked the docks and rented out those boats for night fishing?"

"Those ones." Mrs. Hughes shuddered, "I still think they were trafficking something."

"Had to've been. They weren't fishing with anything I recognized." John rubbed a hand at the back of his head. "I'd better get back. Ondine's bound to've lost herself in her reading again and refused to make herself dinner to solve a grumbling stomach."

"That girl needs a hobby."

"She's got one, reading every book in the library and getting more sent to her." John mimed his next statement with his hands. "She's got a stack of books this high next to her bed and it never change height. The only change is the books in the stack itself."

"Voracious reading is to be applauded Mr. Bates."

"And I applaud it when she's not risking starvation or sleep deprivation for 'one more chapter'." John shrugged, "But better she's addicted to books than drugs I guess."

"About that," Mrs. Hughes chewed her bottom lip. "I don't know what you've heard around town lately but it seems your ex-wife decided to leave you quite the parting gift when she went to London."

"I thought it was just the end of her lease on her house." John's brow furrowed, "What's she been saying?"

"She told Mr. Barrow that Anna's a drug mule or something like that."

John closed his eyes, fingers gripping the bridge of his nose to stave off the thunder of blood in his ears. "Did she now?"

"Yes. Said she was involved with some bad people and came here to escape them or some such nonsense."

"You don't believe it?"

"I believe we've all got things in our past better left there than brought here." Mrs. Hughes stole a look about them and lowered her voice. "I once worked as a phone sex operator, if you believe it."

"I don't but I could see how the Scottish accent might do it for some men."

"Mr. Bates!" Mrs. Hughes whacked him solidly with her clipboard. "That's enough of that from you."

"I'm sorry," John raised his hands in surrender, "That wasn't kind."

"It was better than Mr. Carson took it when he first found out." Mrs. Hughes' cheeks reddened along the bone a moment. "But he got used to the idea after awhile."

John coughed, "Is there anything else, Mrs. Hughes?"

"Just let Anna know that we miss her here. I know she's been ill lately and we hope she recovers soon. Especially since they say this'll be a nasty flu season."

"I'll tell her." John climbed onto his boat, "Thank you Mrs. Hughes."

He steered back to the inlet, securing his boat to the dock as the wood creaked. Looking up, he tightened the rope and dropped it. "I thought you were reading."

"I do manage to get out of my books occasionally."

"I know."

"Father Crawley visited today." Ondine folded her arms over her chest. "I thought Anna was Anglican."

"She is. I think she needed some advice."

"I don't think that's what they were talking about." She frowned, "Do you know he had two other daughters?"

"I think so." John frowned, "Mary and… Ethel?"

"Edith."

"Oh." Ondine shrugged, "I guess she's not the favorite."

"We all know that Sybil's his favorite." John walked to Ondine's side and they walked up the dock toward the house. "Why'd you ask?"

"They were talking about how Anna knew her." Ondine kicked a rock. "I think she's moving there."

"Moving where?" John stopped but as Ondine went to speak they heard the door to the house close. Both heads turned to see Anna there, massaging one hand with the other.

"Could I speak to you?" Anna turned to John, her whole body strung like a spring. "Alone for a moment and then with Ondine?"

"I-" John looked at Ondine but she nodded and went to the house. She stopped when she reached Anna and managed a hug. Anna gripped her tightly and released as Ondine did.

Anna walked to John as the door closed and jerked her head toward the side. They walked together to the edge of the water and Anna cleared her throat. "I don't know what Ondine told you about what she overheard between Father Crawley and I but I wanted to tell you what's going on before you let your mind run away with ideas."

"What kind of ideas?" John tried to laugh it off but Anna shook her head.

"I know she overheard Father Crawley and I talking about Mary and the possibility of me living with Mary for a time."

"How?"

"She was in the kitchen and dropped a bowl."

"Oh." John snuck a glance at Anna's hands but stopped himself reaching for them by jamming his deep into his pockets. "What'd you decide?"

"Did Father Crawley not tell you?"

"His conversation with you is protected the same as if you were in his office or the confessional." John pulled out his phone and slid his finger over it to show her the message. "All he said was that he thinks your decision'll help you."

"And you agree?"

"I don't know what your decision even is yet. You haven't told me."

"Right," Anna cleared her throat through her nervous laugh. "I guess I was hoping someone else had so I didn't have to bear the bad news myself."

"Bad news?"

"I'm going to stay with Mary Crawley, in Downton, for awhile."

"Oh," John wished he had something else to roll off his tongue but that was all he could manage. "Why wouldn't you want to tell me that yourself?"

"Because I know the suffering it'll bring you." Anna sniffed, wiping at her eye with the back of a hand. "I know you'll think this is all your fault and that you're to blame for it but I don't want you to think that."

"What do you want me to think?"

"That I'm… I want to heal. I want to not feel like this."

John shook his head, "I don't even know what 'this' is, Anna."

"Like I'm shamed."

"Shamed?" John flustered, "Shamed for what? I don't see any shame in this."

Anna's eyes grew wide, "I'm spoiled, John."

"Spoiled?"

"First with my history as Green's mule and now with…" Anna closed her eyes, trying to even her breathing. "I'm not whole, John. I feel broken and shattered and… I can't bear to live in that house knowing it's dark for me now. I can't bear to look at you or Ondine knowing that I'm…"

"Anna," John reached for her and while she stiffened she did not pull away. He placed his hands as gently as he could on her cheeks, noting the tears sliding over his fingers. "You're not spoiled. You've never been spoiled and you'll never be spoiled. Not to Ondine and never to me."

"Truly?" One of Anna's trembling hands covered his.

"Truly." John held her gaze, "I love you more every day and nothing'll change that. I loved you when I didn't even know who you were and I can only love you more now knowing the suffering you've been put through and survived."

Anna turned her head to kiss his palm but drew away. "And knowing that, I still need to go. Just for a little while." She paused, swallowing hard, "I need to heal, John. Heal so that I can see myself the way you see me. So I can face myself in the mirror and see the woman you see there instead of who I see there."

"I understand."

"You do?"

"Well, no, actually I don't." John gripped her fingers. "But I want to and I'm here for you whenever you need me. I'll always be here for you."

"Then I'm going to do all I can to come back to you." Anna took a small step forward and gingerly wrapped her arms around him.

John waited before he echoed her embrace, pulling her close. She sniffed and he could feel some of her tears wetting the sleeve of his shirt but he held her until she released. Placing a soft kiss on her forehead he nodded. "I love you Anna. I always have and I always will."

"I love you too John." She nodded toward the house, "How'll we tell her?"

"Directly and with as little fanfare as possible." John offered Anna his hand, "But most importantly we'll tell her together."


	17. Flash of Green

John shivered, blowing into his hands while the man looked over his boat. "Well, it's a rougher one but you've taken good care of her." He turned to John, "When was the last time you had her in dry dock?"

"It's been a bit." John admitted, "But she's not leaked in years. My father almost stripped the hull himself to fix the last leak I remember."

"Then your father knew as much about building boats as sailing them since I've not seen one this well cared for in some time." The man shook his head, "You get the pleasure cruisers who just want something pretty to ride and all they do is drive those things into sand bars."

"Not much risk of those here."

"No," The man turned on his heel to face John. "I'll give you a competitive price by the morning. I'll send my assessment to my client, along with the pictures, and we'll talk 'sale' if he's interested."

"Then I'll wait for your call." John jumped as his pocket vibrated. "Sorry, my daughter's got an appointment and I think I'll need to head off soon."

"No worries mate. We're all done here anyway." He extended his hand and John shook it quickly. "It's a shame you're selling it. I've seen people who take worse care of actual family members."

"She's got enough of my blood in her wood to be a near relative so she's like family."

"You gave her a pretty enough name." The man pointed to it, "And you wrote it much more nicely than many I've seen."

"I didn't write it." John swallowed, "Someone else did it for me."

"She's got a good hand, whoever she is." The man shook his head at the name, "I always thought 'May' a rather beautiful name."

"So did my father." John nodded at him. "As soon as you know, Mr. Strallan, it'd be a great help to me."

"One last question," Strallan called to John as he walked away. "Why are you selling your vessel?"

"Just making some changes in my life." John turned up the dock and hurried to his truck. He steered into the hospital carpark and hurried inside. Ondine waited there, chatting with Sybil. They both looked up as he entered and John forced himself to ignore Ondine's inquiring look to face Sybil. "How are you Sybil?"

"Waiting for morning sickness to end."

"Do I offer congratulations or condolences about the future second child of the Branson family?"

"A little of both maybe?" Sybil shrugged, "Sybbie's absolutely ecstatic about it and Tom's over the moon but I know when it gets closer he'll be a mess."

"I know I was with Ondine." John clapped his hands together, "Sepaking of, how's the prognosis?"

"She's taken the kidneys like they were her own and we've got no evidence of relapse or any lingering problems. Her meds are working and her body's showing no signs of rejecting the transplant." Sybil turned to Ondine, "I'd say you're lucky but I think modern medicine's the real hero here."

"It certainly is." John held a hand out to Ondine. "You ready?"

"Yep." She grabbed her bag, "I can't wait to come back in six months to have them tell me again how my body's all mended. It never gets old."

"No it doesn't."

"Sometimes I think you enjoy these checkups more than me." Ondine tossed her bag into the cab before she entered it.

"When you've got kids and one of them survives a brutal disease you tell me you wouldn't be elated every time a medical professional tells you there's nothing more to worry about." John shut his door, "I enjoy them because they tell me I get more time with you."

"At least until next week." Ondine grumbled, "I don't want to go to London for Christmas holidays."

"We agreed on it."

"No, you and Ma agreed on it." Ondine folded her arms over her chest, pouting with a lip jutting out. "I wanted to be here for the lights and Mrs. Hughes is bringing back her version of Hogmanay this year. I'll miss watching the ball drop with Ma while she drinks herself to sleep by eleven."

"I know it's not what we wanted but it's what we've got." John sighed, "But you're going to Mrs. Hughes this afternoon anyway."

"Why?" Ondine shifted in her seat, pulling the belt to an odd angle over her chest. "Why'd you miss my appointment today and why am I spending the afternoon with Mrs. Hughes when I know you're not taking the boat out?"

"Because I've got some things to take care of and I want to make sure you're taken care of."

"I'm eleven. I can take care of myself."

"And I'm your father and I think you need to have someone monitoring you. If more for my peace of mind than for you."

"But why?" Ondine pressed and John glanced toward her just as the light turned green. "Why do I need monitoring this afternoon?"

"Because I've got people coming to the house and I don't want you there while they're poking around it."

"What?" Ondine frowned and then her eyes widened as realization dawned. "Are you selling our house?"

"I might be. There's a lovely couple interested in it."

"Who?"

"Do you remember Dickie Grey?"

"I hope the other half of that couple isn't his witch of a wife."

"Ondine!" John parked the car, "That's not polite."

"She was horrible."

"She was your primary school teacher."

"She whacked the entire line of Drewe boys with a switch once."

"That's beside the point." John paused, "And no. His wife passed a few years ago. The woman is his second wife, Isobel Crawley."

"Is she Father Crawley's sister?"

"I think they're third cousins or something." John shrugged, "I know he introduced them and officiated their wedding and was kind enough to drop the line to them about my selling my house and as they were looking for a nice, quiet place out of the way I think it's a big favor to us."

"To you maybe, not me." Ondine huffed, "Where'll we live while other people take residence in our house?"

"We're moving to London to be closer to your mother." John unbuckled his belt, "And because I think we need a change of scenery."

"What about when Anna gets back? Is she coming to London with us too?"

"I don't think Anna's coming back, Ondine."

Ondine quieted, "What do you mean she's not coming back?"

"Anna's not called or texted or emailed us in three months Ondine."

"Did Green-"

"No," John shook his head. "I've asked Father Crawley and he says she's still with his daughter at Downton. She's safe, as far as he knows, and we've nothing to worry about."

"Except that part where you said she's not coming back." Ondine narrowed her eyes, "What do you know that you're not telling me?"

"Father Crawley told me Anna's been talking to a lawyer."

"What kind of lawyer?"

"The kind that means I might be signing some papers in the future." John jerked his head toward the door. "Come on, we don't want to keep Mrs. Hughes waiting."

"Then why are we moving?" Ondine did not move from her seat, continuing to stare forward at the dashboard. "Why aren't we fighting for her?"

"Because she's not fighting for us and the best thing we can do for those we love is to let them go."

"Let them go?"

"If that's what they want then it's torture to try and force them somewhere else." John took a deep breath, leaning against the cab to stare in at Ondine from his position outside it. "I love Anna and I respect that if she doesn't want to be with me anymore than it's my duty to love her enough to let her leave."

"You won't fight for her?"

"I won't fight her, there's a difference." John pointed to Ondine's bag. "Come on, we're already late and I need to make sure the house is in order."

"So we're moving to London, which you hate, to be closer to Ma, who you hate, because you think the woman you love is leaving you?"

"I can't walk around that house, knowing what I loved there isn't there anymore and knowing it only caused her pain."

"What about what I want?"

"Okay," John opened his hands to her, "What do you want?"

"I want you to go to Anna, to profess your love for her, to stay here, to… to do anything but what you're doing right now."

"I can't do those things because they're not the right things to do in this case." John closed his door and walked around to her side, opening her door. "Now come on. We're being rude to someone doing us a kindness."

"Kindness for you maybe." Ondine breathed but John ignored her, escorting her to Mrs. Hughes's door.

Once the sour and glowering girl disappeared inside John drove back to his house. He beat the realtor and the Greys there, giving him a sigh of relief as he fumbled with his key to unlock the door. When it opened he hurried inside to straighten things.

The knock on the door, no matter how expected, startled John and he only just managed to stop the glass in his hand tumbling to the floor. He set it on the counter and walked to the front door, opening it with a prepared smile. It froze as he saw Anna standing at the door.

"May I come in?"

"Of course." John stepped out of the way and shut the door quickly behind her to keep the heat inside. "What… what are you doing here?"

"It's still our house, isn't it?" She opened her mouth as if to say something else and John rushed to stop her.

"It is, it is. I'm just… just surprised to see you here, I guess."

"I have been a bit… out of sorts haven't I?" Anna turned her head at the sound of tires on the gravel. "Are you expecting someone?"

"I… yes, I am. They're um…" John swallowed, "It's funny you asked about this still being our house, actually, since they're here to… they're here to view it."

"View it?" Anna frowned and then her face blanked. "You're selling your mother's house?"

"I'm considering the possibility of an offer on my mother's house."

"Why?"

"It's-" John stopped at the knock on the door, "Can I answer your question when they're done?"

"Sure." Anna removed her coat. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Would you mind making tea while I show them around the house?"

"Not at all."

To Anna's credit she played the perfect hostess to the Greys. And to the credit of the Greys they cooed and gushed over the quaintness of the house before informing John at the door they would have an answer for him very shortly. The mood of the whole house changed, however, the moment John shut the door and faced Anna where she stood at the kitchen table.

"Might I know why you'd sell this house?"

"Because I'm moving." John shrugged, swinging his arms a moment before clapping his hands together in front of him. "I'm taking Ondine and we're going to London."

"You hate London."

"But her mother lives there and it'll be easier to arrange visits once she's in closer proximity."

"You were doing just fine with that before." Anna gripped the back of the chair right before her. "What's changed?"

"I've got nothing to tie me here anymore."

"You've got Ondine."

"And she's coming with me." John held Anna's gaze. "So all the things I care about are coming with me and I'm leaving behind the things that don't matter."

"This is your home."

"It hasn't felt that way."

Anna lowered her head, "This is about me, isn't it?"

"I can't live in a place that brought you so much pain and I can't be here when it reminds me of you and that brings me pain." John waved a hand, "The sight of this place, of me, was torture enough for you that you went to Yorkshire to be away from it and that's torture for me."

"I told you I needed to get away to heal."

"And I hope you did. I hope you are healed, if that's what brought you back now, but I'm not going to keep feeding myself the painful delusion that you're coming back."

Anna frowned, "Why'd you say that?"

"Because Father Crawley was the only one who gave me updates on how you were, Anna." John tried to keep the edge out of his voice. "You never called, you never texted, you never emailed. Hell, you couldn't even bring it upon yourself to write a bloody letter with the words, 'doing alright' or 'I love you'."

"Doctor Seward-"

"Can go bugger off for all I care." John closed his eyes, clenching a fist to try and rein in his emotions. "I don't know what you did while you were there and I don't know what you were doing to heal. Whatever it was I hope it worked and I hope you're better. I sincerely do."

"But?"

"But when the woman I loved left me, without a word, and when she's just showing up at my doorstep without a word I don't know what to think."

"That I came back, like I promised." Anna came around the table and held onto John's hands. "That I'm better now."

"You should've been better here." John drew his hands away. "You should've trusted me to do everything I could to help. Trusted Ondine and the people here who care about you. But you didn't you ran away and expected what? That life would just pause while you were gone?"

"I thought you understood."

"I did, when you left. But I guess expecting you would keep me apprised of your progress or even want to talk to me was too far outside the realms of imagination." John shook his head. "If you've got the papers I'll sign them and let you go. If not then we'll try and figure something out. But if the Greys put an offer on the house they get it. If Mr. Strallan's client wants my boat he's got it because I'm leaving this place and all the bad memories here."

"They weren't all bad… were they?"

Anna's small voice cut John to the core and he hurried to respond, his voice cracking. "No. There were so many good ones."

"Then stay, please." Anna implored, taking his hands again and this time John did not pull away. "Don't leave what you love."

"But you already left me." He tried to control the tears running down his cheeks but he could do nothing about them. "It's all over, Anna."

"What are you talking about?"

"Father Crawley told me you met with a lawyer while you were at Downton."

"About the case, John. He was the one the state appointed when I agreed to give testimony about Green and his operation." Anna put a hand to her forehead. "Mary only heard the end of the conversation."

"Then you're not…"

"Leaving you? Divorcing you?" Anna could not shake her head more emphatically. "Never."

She looked at his hands. "I know I didn't do this the right way and I've probably hurt you more than words can express but please, please John," Anna turned to face to his. "Don't leave here. Don't leave this house, don't sell your boat, don't… don't take Ondine to London."

"Then what do I do, Anna?"

"Stay here, with me." Anna stepped closer, "Be here with me as I want to be with you again. Please give me another chance to make this right."

"You never made it wrong."

"I hurt you and that's… that's wrong."

"That's what we do, in relationships. We give people the power to hurt us and trust that they won't."

"I didn't repay your trust very well then did I."

"You came back." John slipped his hands from hers to hold at her cheek and neck, running his thumbs over the skin there to reassure himself that she was real. "You want to stay. That's the kind of payment I'd take any day."

"Thank you." Anna leaned into him, wrapping her small arms around him and John responded with a solid grip on her. "I'm sorry John. I'm sorry for all the hurt I've caused you."

"I know. And I'm sorry I was so stupid as to assume-"

"Stop." Anna put her fingers over John's mouth. "You did what you could with what you had."

"I should've have assumed the worst of you."

"I didn't give you much choice now did I?"

"Doesn't excuse it."

"But it does explain it." Anna took a deep breath, "I love you, John Bates, and I want you to know, without a doubt, that'll never change."

"I know. And I love you." John bent, stopping himself before he could reach her lips. "May I?"

"You don't need to ask for that." Anna lifted herself up enough to close the distance and John could think of nothing more pleasurable than kissing her.

He pulled back a moment, "So you're back for good then?"

"For good and proper." Anna put her hands to his neck, clasping them there to keep herself close. "And I've got to say that I've been missing something rather terribly while I've been away."

"What's that?"

"You." Anna grinned, "More importantly certain… parts of you."

John blinked, "Excuse me?"

"I hope you're not about to ask me to explain the birds and the bees to you."

"No, I've got that part very nearly mastered." John nodded at her, his hands holding at her waist. "But you've been… Since the attack you…"

"I know." Anna stared at his shirt, her hands coming from around his neck to brush over the fabric there. "But part of my recovery was realizing the difference there and I knew I never felt more loved or wanted or part of you than those moments and I… It might be selfish but I want that now. I want to feel close to you John."

Her voice whispered over him as her fingers curled in the fabric of his shirt. "Please John?"

John did not answer with words. Instead he hauled her to him and took charge of her mouth. He followed the guide of her hands and her moans, pausing occasionally when she instinctively stiffened or her own grip fluttered. But her responses returned his eagerness in dividends.

The buttons on his shirt opened faster than he thought humanly possible but the thought fled his head even faster when Anna's nails raked over the territory there. His own hands fumbled with her shirt and she had to take his grunt of frustration as a cue to haul it over her head. John quickly rewarded her work with his determined kisses over her chest and the flesh of her breasts raised from the bra she wore.

Anna pulled them back toward the table and John lifted her to sit on the edge. The heavy furniture squeaked a moment but held while they attacked one another with determined effort. John's fingers fluttered everywhere and soon his trousers gaped under the focus of Anna's. They only paused long enough this time to shove his trousers and pants out of the way and haul hers down her legs.

Her knickers, or more specifically her rather flattering thong, stopped John in his tracks. When he forced a swallow and lifted his head to look Anna in the eye she only grinned. "I thought I might get something special."

"Not a garter?"

"Oh I got one of those too." Anna spread her legs and pulled John closer by notching one over his hip. "It was one of the things Mary helped me do when I told her I was coming back. She thought it might help."

"You could be wearing anything and I'd want you back." John stroked the back of his finger against her cheek. "I'd always want you back, Anna."

"Then take me back Mr. Bates." She trilled in his ear and John waste no more time.

He did not bother to remove the thong, just pulled it to the side and drove forward. Her nails dug into the skin of his shoulders under his shirt and John bit down on his lip enough to taste the coppery tang of blood there. Anna cried out when he shifted and John tried to adjust her position on the table but she held him close.

"It's not that." Her eyes fluttered open, "It's just you."

John drew to the edge and then thrust back in, hand at Anna's ass to adjust her position on the table so he could better control his motions. His other hand worked between them trying to bring her over the edge when he already teetered there. He refused to not bring this to her satisfaction when he was getting his.

She pulled at his open shirt, dragging his mouth to hers again before removing that hand to join his between her legs. Their fingers slipped and ran over one another in time with their wild motions. It was like they had no idea what they were doing but also that they had been in this position a million times, seeking one another with the familiarity of old flames and the ignition of first time romantics.

With the dig of Anna's nails into the skin of his side and the violent suck of her mouth on his tongue, John recognized the cling of her inner walls in time with her shriek. He waited a moment, as the sound dissipated in the kitchen, and then drove forward on his own. It took no time at all for him to finish and John rested his forehead in the familiar spot on her shoulder.

Her light laugh drew his head up and Anna smiled at him. "I'm not sure you should ever sell this table."

"It'd be bad form to hand over something after you've had sex on it." John grinned back, sliding free and standing still a moment as the emotions and sensations of what just happened finally set in. "Give me a moment."

"Okay." Anna sat still until John moved and then frowned. "Where's Ondine anyway?"

"She's with Mrs. Hughes. I wanted her there while the Greys took a tour of the house."

"Because she'd be upset?"

"Because I didn't want her to have to endure it." John picked Anna's trousers off the floor and helped restore her before seeing to his own clothes. "It was painful enough for me."

"And your boat?"

"She didn't know about that until this afternoon."

"I see." Anna leaned on the table, her hands flexing against the wood. "And will you?"

"Will I what?"

"Will you still sell and move to London?"

"Now that you're back I don't think that'd be wise." John checked the clock over her shoulder. "Do you want to come with me and get Ondine? She'll be thrilled to see you."

"I think that'd be lovely." Anna bit her lip, "It'd also be a chance for me to ask for my job back."

"Is that what you want to do? Bookkeeping for Mrs. Hughes?"

"No but it's the job that might be available now and since I can't decide what I want to do it's what I've got."

"What would you like to do?" John helped Anna into her coat and grabbed his own. "There's got to be something you're good at."

"There are things." She shrugged, "I always wondered if I'd make a good journalist since I loved it at school but I studied foreign language instead. Wanted to be a translator."

"Can't say there's much need for Mandarin Chinese here but maybe somewhere else."

"No," Anna held up a warning finger, climbing into the cab with John. "It's got to be here."

"Then what about your story?"

"My story?"

"Woman gets caught up in a fisherman's net and then marries him."

"No one would believe it."

"Then make it a fairytale and sell it." John shrugged, "I don't know but Ondine'd be over the moon if she could help with that one."

"She was the one convinced I was a selkie."

"She's pretty insistent in that regard." John faced Anna. "I'm just glad you're here."

"Me too." Anna's hand covered his. "Me too."

They retrieved Ondine and, as John predicted, she was ecstatic. She spent half the drive back chattering to Anna about everything she missed and the other half telling John, over and over, in her superior voice, "I told you so." When she finally calmed down enough she latched onto Anna's idea for the fairytale and pulled out her sketchpad to storyboard the whole thing.

That was how John found her, face sideways on a drawing of a woman in a net. He carefully slid the sketchpad out from under Ondine's head on the coffee table and lifted her into his arms. Anna bent over, collecting the colored pencils and the wiping away the shavings from the used rubber that now sat as a stub of its former self.

"She's determined, I'll give you that." Anna whispered, dusting the shavings into the rubbish bin and setting Ondine's things on the desk in her room as John helped slide her into bed.

"She's a romantic." John kissed Ondine's head and pulled her covers up.

"She's a little girl. They're always going to believe in happy endings."

"Someone has to." John agreed as they crowded out of the room, closing the door behind them. "I was always too busy trying to look like Conan the Barbarian as a kid to worry about a happy ending."

"All that toxic masculinity getting to you." Anna teased as they walked down the hall to their room.

"Not anymore." John pulled his shirt over his head, tossing it into the bin. "Having a daughter destroyed all those things you think about when you imagine being a 'man' and I realized I wanted to be the father she deserved."

"What do you mean?" Anna pulled her hair up, wrapping it into a messy bun on top of her head.

"Ondine doesn't need some 'roid monster to bust through walls for her. She needs someone who'll listen to her, cry with her occasionally, and act with compassion. She needs kindness and that's what she brought out in me." John sat on the edge of the bed, wearing only his pants, and frowned at the far wall as he lost himself in thought. "I think all children need that but Vera never saw it."

"Is that why she left?" Anna crawled behind him and John turned over his shoulder to kiss her cheek.

"She left for a lot of reasons but I think her version of a man wasn't me after awhile."

"Her loss then." Anna's hands caressed over John's back, "Because you're the version of man that I want."

"Really?" John half turned, resting his weight on one arm as Anna crawled off the bed, just out of reach. "What version is that?"

"I don't mind the one, right now, who's rising to the occasion."

John nodded at her, "You're just being a tease now, you know that."

"I do." Anna opened her dressing gown and John's mouth dried at the sight of her garter and nothing else. "But you'll enjoy it."

It took no time at all for John to be over her, naked as the day he was born, and for Anna to try hushing her sounds as he buried his fingers and tongue between her legs. His other hand smoothed over the garter and ran the path between garter and her breasts so expertly John swore he memorized it better than the multiplication tables in school. But all that he thought about once Anna broke with a barely strangled sob of pleasure, was how to make her do it again.

She had other ideas when he tried to go for another round. Her legs wrapped his waist and Anna flipped them over. Within a second, John trying to recover the breath so recently evacuated from his lungs, Anna sheathed him inside her and moved. Her fingers dug into his chest, steering her motions while directing her speed, and it was all John could do to keep up.

His feet planted on the mattress but they slipped when he sought the kind of grip and lever he needed to bring his hips to meet hers. Soon John abandoned the idea and just grabbed at Anna's hip with one hand and her ass with the other to drive himself as deeply inside her as he could go. She cried out, nails raking down his abdomen to where they joined to send herself over the edge again.

Her second tumble over was enough to send John there. He managed a last thrust before stuttering slowly to a stop. Anna's hands slipped on his chest, the stick of sweat making their motions uncertain, but when she slid off him and lay at his side it did not matter.

John held her close, tapping the garter. "This is definitely a keeper."

"I'd hope so. I bought it in France."

"France?" John frowned, "What were you doing in France?"

"Mary was supposed to go with her husband but he cancelled last minute because of a family emergency."

"And she didn't go?"

"It was the father of his ex-fiancé."

"That's…"

"Awkward in other circumstances but she was his ex-fiancé because she died in a car accident a few years ago. He stayed in touch with the father and acted like a surrogate son ever since." Anna moved on the bed, working closer to John. "He went to be with him when the man died and attended the funeral."

"That's sweet."

"And it left Mary with a second ticket that'd go to waste otherwise so I went with her." Anna cringed, "Are you mad?"

"Since I was the beneficiary of this trip," John ran a finger over the skin just above the garter and felt Anna shiver. "I'd say we just have to make sure Ondine doesn't know since she's always wanted to go."

"I won't tell a soul." Anna whispered theatrically and John went to kiss over her neck. "I'm good at keeping quiet about things."

"I guess we'll have to see how quiet you can be." John licked up her ear before teething over her earlobe. "Remember, Ondine's just down the hall."

"Two can play that game." Anna ran her fingers over John's arousal. "I'll win."


	18. Here There Be Dragons

John opened his eyes, frowning a moment before settling on his back to see Anna, sitting up on her arm to stare at him. "Aren't you supposed to be sleeping?"

"I couldn't sleep."

"Nightmares?" John tried to sit up but Anna pushed him back down.

"No, I had to pee." Anna chewed the inside of her cheek. "And I needed to pee on something."

"I hope you mean 'in something', like the toilet and not 'on something' like the floor."

"You're the worst." Anna reached behind her and held something up. "And I did mean 'on something' because I meant on this."

John sat up, his eyes clearing, and realized it was a chemist's bought pregnancy test. He reached for it but Anna held it out of his reach. "You're not playing fair."

"You were the one who thought I couldn't pee in the toilet."

"You weren't specific." John leaned up and kissed Anna. Her hands fluttered a moment and he snatched the test away. "Ha!"

"Hey!" Anna tried to follow him but John but he rolled out of bed and held the test up. "I haven't read it yet."

"Then let me do…" John stopped, his jaw dropping a bit.

"John?" Anna crawled over the bed to him, pulling at his hand to lower the test so she could see too. When her eyes lighted on it she covered her mouth. "John I-"

"We're pregnant." John wrapped his hands around her waist, lifting her off her feet and turning a quick circle. "We're going to have a baby Anna!"

"I take it this means you're happy." Anna giggled back, finally landing on her feet on the floor so John could kiss her with more passion.

"Happy?" He broke away, setting the test on the bedside table to focus all his attention on her. "I've not been this happy since Ondine was born. I'm… I'm beyond words for how happy I am."

"You're sure?"

"Anna," John took her hands, looking her in the eye, "There's nothing that could make me happier in the word than knowing, at this moment, we're going to have a baby."

Anna kissed him back, moving them back toward the bed. When her legs hit they landed in a bit of a tumble but they laughed through it. Until a banging on the wall stopped them.

"If I can hear you then it's not okay!"

John and Anna laughed even harder, Anna trying to quiet him. "We're not doing anything if she's up and can hear us."

"At least she'll know we love each other."

"I'd rather she didn't know exactly how much." Anna tried to move but John stopped her with a hand on her stomach. His fingers caressed there and Anna's hand covered his but he saw it in her expression, she was loath to move him. "John, your daughter's awake."

"Then we'll have to be very quiet, won't we?"

"John-" Anna bit her lip as John's hand slipped under her pajama trousers and stroked along the line of her knickers. "We can't-"

"Yes we can." John adjusted his position, tugging Anna to the end of the bed. "We'll just have to find a way to make no noise."

"Not... possible." Anna squirmed under him as John slid her trousers down her legs. "I can't…"

"Yes you can." John stood over her, kissing at the skin of her neck and jaw. "We can do it together."

She could only try to stifle her moan as his fingers slipped the fabric of her knickers to the side and ran through her folds there. Her hips lifted to address the problem of growing arousal that shook the bed. John hurried an arm under her and lifted Anna from the bed to lay them both on the floor. The carpet there, the fluffy white one she insisted they have for the cold wood, deadened the echo of their movements and John settled to kissing through Anna's night shirt while his fingers continued their work.

But Anna surprised him. Both of her hands planted on John's chest and shoved him backward. He caught himself on his hands but found himself helpless as he watched Anna shuck off her clothing before yanking both his trousers and briefs in one swift move. She straddled his legs and wrapped a hand around his erection.

"Fair is fair."

"Yes," John's hand went to the back of Anna's neck and pulled her to his lips while she worked over him.

Anna surprised him again when she broke the kiss and pushed John back to the floor. Her lips traced their own trail down his chest as his hands tried to find a place to hold and caress on her. John quickly gave up on that plan when her lips wrapped over him.

"Anna-"

His hips jerked with the strokes of her tongue against him, drawing up and down like an ice cream cone. Her fingers kneaded at his hips and thighs before one hand wrapped the base to squeeze and the other took a hold at his sack to tease. John dug his grip into the carpet, pulling it from the floor while biting down to silence himself.

The tingle at the base of his back threatened him and John went to speak but Anna pulled off with a final suck. She grinned at him, licking her lips before turning around and positioning herself on her knees. John frowned until she looked back over her shoulder.

"Time to shake it up?"

John moved forward, leaning over Anna as she took a pose on her hands and knees. One he used to his advantage to place kisses down her back and over her shoulders before driving forward. Now her fingers clutched at the carpet and John paused only a moment to make sure no other sounds echoed from their room.

Then he moved.

The sight of them from this angle drove him almost mad. He worked one hand over her to the front, massaging the weight of her breasts in alternating rhythm, and the other took position at her hip to bring her against him and thrust even deeper inside her. Her smothered sobs signaled her and John leaned farther over her to send his fingers at her hip running over her skin to tease at her nerve bundle and his lips to her ear.

"You have to come now Anna. Your body wants to and you need to listen to it." He growled, the urge to finish driving him faster so his voice rasped. "We can come together. Let's do it together Anna."

She nodded and John fumbled to send her higher. High enough for her to stifle her shriek in the carpet and he grunted his finish in the skin of her shoulder. He kissed there as he pulled back and flopped onto the carpet.

Anna joined him, laying next to him with a laugh. John turned to her, brow furrowing. "What's so funny?"

"I'm honestly surprised it took us this long to get pregnant."

"We'd been under stress."

"But it's not like you've been lacking in that department." Anna teased her hand toward him but John stopped her.

"I'm sensitive right there at the moment."

"Don't I know it." Anna kissed his cheek, laying back to look at him. "I don't think I've ever been happier than I've been with you."

"Me either… well, except for Ondine."

"I guessed as much." Anna pushed herself off the floor. "I need a shower and then I need to get to work."

"It's the library Anna."

"Doesn't mean it's not important." Anna threw a pillow at him but John caught it. "Just like your boat is important."

"I guess we've all got those things that mean something to us." John stood up, retrieving their pajamas before pulling the sheets and blankets up the bed. "What if I wanted to sell the boat?"

"You already turned down the offer from Mr. Strallan's client once," Anna leaned out of the bathroom door. "I don't think you can dangle it in front of them again."

"Not them necessarily." John shrugged, arranging the pillows. "I'm sure there's someone who wants a fishing boat in good condition."

"But not anyone who'll love it like you." Anna crossed her arms over her chest, her dressing gown crinkling. "What's brought this on?"

"You've found something you love and I think I need to find something I love too."

"I thought you loved fishing."

"I love the water but there's something to the threat that everyday your success is only a step away from being taken from you." John held up his hand, fingers slightly apart. "I've been that close to broke more than once."

"But now that you sold Vera's place and Ondine's better surely you're in a better position."

"Sure but…" John held up the pregnancy test. "With another one on the way I don't want that kind of uncertainty."

"All jobs are uncertain John."

"But they need to be as certain as we can make them."

Anna narrowed her eyes at him, "You're serious."

"As the grave."

"How long've you been thinking about this?"

"Since I was selling my boat."

"John that was four months ago." Anna shook her head, "Have you made any plans about this?"

"No," John shook his head. "It's just been at the back of my mind and I kept wondering if the reason I couldn't forget the idea was because I should follow it."

"What'll you do?"

"They need someone at the fishery, that's what Mrs. Hughes has been telling me whenever she mentions her inevitable retirement, and she wants me to take her position."

"You'd drive yourself mad counting and weighing fish everyday."

"There's more to it than that and the pay's steady. I'd have something constant to bring home."

"John." Anna walked over to him, taking his hands with hers. "I don't want you to do this because you think you can't provide for us. I don't want you to ever believe we don't think you can take care of us."

"It's not that." John soothed, kissing her forehead. "It's time to move on to something else and this is it."

"You're sure?"

"As sure as I know I can't operate a boat on little sleep if I'm getting up in the middle of the night to change nappies or settle a crying baby."

Anna smiled at him, "We're having a baby John."

"I know."

"I know too!" They both jumped at the sound of Ondine calling out to them. "And it would've been nice to find out later instead of through the wall."

John rested his forehead on Anna's. "We may need to consider another house."

"John Bates don't you dare." Anna slapped her hand against his chest. "We're staying here and raising our baby by the water."

"Because it's a selkie baby?"

"Don't make fun." Anna snuck a kiss and pushed away. "I need to go shower."

John grabbed his own dressing gown and hauled on his pajama trousers to hurry to the kitchen. Ondine sat at the table, finishing up the last vestiges of her schoolwork before tucking it into her bag. "Want something to eat?"

"Could you manage some eggs and toast?" Ondine closed her bag as John dug into the fridge. "And I'm happy for you too… in case you forgot to mention it."

"I hope we didn't disturb you too much." John cringed, putting the utensils on the counter and starting up the stove.

Ondine shrugged, "It could've been worse and at least you tried to keep quiet. When I lived with Ma it was-"

"Alright," John held up a hand, "That's enough of that."

"I figured." Ondine smiled and took the kettle to the sink and filled it. "What about your job? I heard you mumbling something about it."

"I'm thinking of taking Mrs. Hughes position at the fishery."

"You, at the fishery?"

John frowned, "You obviously don't think too highly of that idea."

"I'm having difficulty imagining you inside for hours a day." Ondine put the kettle on one of the burners and set to pulling out cups and the tea bags. "I think you'd be better as one of their inspectors. You'd still be out on the water and you'd get to board boats like a pirate."

"You'd like that wouldn't you?"

"It's be cooler to introduce my father as the pirate but I guess the town won't get over you as the fisherman who pulled his wife from the water in his net."

"It's kind of hard to get away from that isn't it?" John popped the toast and the eggs on a plate. "Eat up or you'll miss your ride."

"She wouldn't leave without me."

"Especially since she's not had breakfast yet." Anna came into the room, pulling up her damp hair and working around John to grab the whistling kettle. "I hope you're getting some of that for me."

"Of course dear." John grabbed another plate and Ondine pushed a cup over the table. "Ondine thinks I should be an inspector."

"Then you can look for female stowaways in boats." Anna poured the steaming water into the cups and dropped her own teabag into hers. "What an adventure that would be."

"I don't think they'd take someone as old as me."

"I'd use the word 'experience' when you try to sell yourself to them. Saying 'old' isn't a comfort." Ondine scarfed down her food and swallowed her tea. "Be right back."

"That girl's got nothing but energy now." John handed Anna her plate. "Sometimes I wonder if maybe I shouldn't confine her to the chair again for a moment when she'd settle down."

"Seeing as we gave the chair back to the hospital I doubt they'd let us use it for an object lesson." Anna sipped her tea. "But she's got a point."

"About what?"

"You as an inspector."

"They're not hiring that position now."

"But if Jane takes Mrs. Hughes job then they'll be an opening and she's not as addicted to the water as you. Besides," Anna pouted, "She's got Freddie to worry about and she needs more consistent hours since her mother's taken ill and can't work with her arthritis."

"What about me having Ondine?"

"You've got me to help with her." Anna finished her tea as Ondine returned. "Ready?"

"All minty fresh." She clacked her teeth together and kissed John on the cheek before grabbing her bag. "See you after school Da."

"Bye." John waved the spatula as Anna planted a more serious kiss on him. "And have a good day."

"I will." Anna winked, "Thank you for breakfast."

John cleaned up the dishes, finished his own tea, and changed to his work clothes. His boat was out into the harbor less than an hour later and then tied up at the dock in town by the end of that same hour. He walked to the fishery and knocked on the door to Mrs. Hughes office. She raised a finger at him through the window and he nodded, waiting until she opened the door.

"Mr. Bates, what a surprise. It's a bit early for you to have something for us already."

"That's just it." John pointed into the office. "Might I come in?"

"Of course." Mrs. Hughes motioned him to a chair and shut the door before sitting back at her desk. "What's got you visiting me so early since I know it's not a social call."

"It's professional." John leaned forward, "I know you've been thinking about retiring, spending more time with your husband and your sister."

"I have." Mrs. Hughes shook her head, "Becky's been worse lately and they think she might be leaving us any day now."

"I'm sorry to hear that." John put a hand on the desk, "Which is why I've a proposal for you."

"I'm anxious to hear it."

"I know Jane Moorsum's been hoping for a higher position that'll pay a bit better and give her more consistent hours now that her mother's not able to take care of Freddie like she used to."

"As someone who's got arthritis of my own I know how that feels." Mrs. Hughes frowned, "But what's your stake in this?"

"I could take Mrs. Moorsum's position as an inspector and she takes yours as boss here."

"Mr. Bates I think that's a lovely idea but I can't see you taking the time to leave your boat for the drudgery of a steady beat on a time clock."

"We've all got to change a little when we're faced with changes."

Mrs. Hughes leaned forward, "Mr. Bates, exactly what changes are you making in your life?"

"I'm going to be a father again, Mrs. Hughes, but I'd prefer this stay between us since only Anna, Ondine, and myself know at the moment."

"Then consider me honored to keep my lips sealed." Mrs. Hughes took his hand in a vigorous shake. "There's no one who deserves to be a father more than you."

"Thank you." John returned to the embrace. "But that's why I need something a bit more… certain, if you know what I mean."

"I do and I'll look into it immediately." They stood and Mrs. Hughes shook his hand again. "You're a good man Mr. Bates and I always hoped that something as wonderful as this would come along for you again."

"You do me more than honor by saying that."

As John headed to the door Mrs. Hughes called out to him. "Do you remember that man I mentioned awhile back?"

John turned, "The one who came by looking for Anna when she was sick?"

"That's the one."

"What about him?"

"He's been by again." Mrs. Hughes shrugged. "He seemed a bit more desperate than he was the last time he stopped by and he had someone with him."

"Who?"

"I don't know since the other man was in the car the whole time but they were both in a heated argument when the man got back into the car and then they drove off."

"When was this?"

"Two days ago."

"Have you seen them since?"

Mrs. Hughes shook her head. "I told them Anna doesn't work here anymore but I kept anything else to myself."

"Thank you Mrs. Hughes." John walked away, "I'll see about this."

"And I'll tell Mrs. Moorsum about your plan. Expect to hear from me by tomorrow at the latest."

"I will." John hurried into town, going straight to the police station.

The moment his eyes met Henry Talbot's through the glass of his office the other man stood and raised his hands. "We're already on it Mr. Bates."

"Like you were when Green slipped through your fingers and then raped my wife."

"We had to release him since he made bail."

"How'd he do that?"

"Someone paid it for him."

"Who?"

"Talbot shrugged, "Some man calling himself Walter Simeon."

"Who's that?"

"At the time I didn't know but after some digging, after Green slipped through our fingers after your wife's attack, we found out it's one of Simon Bricker's new aliases."

John pointed a shaking finger at Talbot. "You let a known criminal pay for another criminal's bail?"

"Like I said, we didn't know and since the bail was paid we had to follow procedure." Talbot shook his head, "We know there've been sightings of them in town and we're following every lead we have."

"I hope one of those leads means you're putting people out there to protect my wife and daughter from these people."

"They've already got shadows keeping an eye on them in plain clothes." Talbot took a deep breath. "We're sorry about what's happened and I promise I've been working round the clock to try and make this all right."

"And how right is that?"

"The kind of right where they're behind bars for good and you all sleep better at night." Talbot faced John. "I promise you, we're on the same side."

"As long as you get them we are. But I warn you," John lowered his voice, "If they try to hurt my family again, I'll kill them."

"Honestly?" Talbot stole a look around, "I wouldn't mind you doing us a favor and doing just that if you do get the chance."

"I take it that's not an official policy."

"No but…" Talbot shrugged, "We're in Ireland. There's another way to do things here."

"Is there?"

"Of course." Talbot winked, "Because here there be dragons."

"What?"

"It's what was written on old maps when there was a place they'd never been and they had-"

"I know," John shook his head, "I'm just confused as to why you'd say it now."

"I was trying to make a joke and I guess it wasn't funny."

"Needs work."

"Obviously." Talbot cleared his throat, "Just let me know if you see anything suspicious."

"Mrs. Hughes, from the fishery, said a man's been asking about Anna."

"Description?"

"Taller, bean pole, and apparently has these eyes that just bug out of his head."

"Bricker." Talbot sucked the inside of his cheek. "He's the main one. Next to him, Green is small time."

"I want them both gone."

"So do I." Talbot assured John. "Just trust that there's enough space in the jail for the two of them and I'll make sure they get there."

"I'm trusting you with the lives of my family, Talbot."

"I won't let you down Mr. Bates."


	19. Sailors Afraid of Water

John shut his truck door and smiled as he saw Anna watering the plants behind the house, a hand at her back to support it with the weight now distributed more toward the front. His feet crunching on the gravel drew her attention and Anna waved to him. Returning the wave John came up to her, taking the watering can from her hands, and kissed her.

Anna smiled into it, pushing away after a moment. "What's gotten into you Mr. Bates?"

"Can't a man come home and kiss his wife after a long day at work?"

"Of course but I didn't expect this." Anna's hand tapped at John's hip as her protruding belly prevented her reaching farther around it. "I would've thought that when I grew to the size of a whale you'd be a bit less enthused."

"Never." John held her close, "Besides, I'm a man who loves the water so doesn't it stand to reason that I'd be invested even more once you start looking like a sea creature."

"When I start growing tentacles I rather hope I'm not fulfilling a fetish." Anna reached for the watering can and grunted when her arm could not grab it. "Darling?"

"Oh," John grabbed it for her, "Why don't you let me do this and you go lie down?"

"I'm pregnant, not an invalid." Anna advised but stood to the side as John continued watering. "How's work?"

"Is it possible that I've been doing it for months and I still feel like I'm managing to screw up basic tasks?" John shook his head, "I thought this was going to be easy and yet I've got Thomas Barrow sneering his reprimands at me eight hours a day."

"You could always retire."

"I'm a bit young to cash it all in." John finished with the can and inspected the beds before leading Anna back inside. "Besides, what kind of example does that set for my son?"

"I think it'll be another daughter."

"Where's my first daughter?"

"Said she'd be at a friends' studying late since they've got exams next week and she doesn't think she can study through any of your midnight cooking."

"Her loss I guess."

"It's fine." Anna winked at him, "We'll have time before the next one has to study for anything and we can complain about noise first."

"Because you insisted they not tell us." John set the watering can inside the greenhouse and checked it over before locking the door. "If you'd just let the technician say it-"

"We wouldn't be surprised."

"We also wouldn't be painting the nursery gray." John chided, leading Anna inside. "I still think we should've gone for blue."

"Gray's a neutral color."

"Gray reminds me of death." John removed his shoes and then helped Anna with hers, kissing at both her ankles.

"You know," Anna shifted out of his grip. "I was always told it's the women who get horny in pregnancy but you've been absolutely insatiable since I got pregnant."

"Not that I was much help in the first place." John winked at her, working his jacket and jumper over his head to leave his work coveralls hanging by the back door. "As evidenced by your current state."

"Yes." Anna smiled at him, rubbing the back of her neck and the small of her back at the same time.

"Hey," John came over to her. "What is it?"

"Just this dull ache at my back." Anna caught his hands, kissing them. "Do you remember that first time, on the boat?"

"How could I forget? It was the best sex I'd ever had up until then."

Anna frowned, "And since?"

"No," John shook his head, thinking a moment. "That would've been that time I surprised you in the garden I think."

"The garden?"

"I dunno," John put his arms around her waist, stroking over her stomach through her maternity shirt. "Something about being out in the open where anyone could see us was pretty heady."

"Was it now?" Anna giggled, "But that's not what I was getting at."

"I can't tell you which was worse because they were all great."

"No," Anna insisted, pulling John's hands over her stomach. "I mean the miracle this is."

"I think I'm following but something tells me I'm not at all."

Anna put her hands up to cup John's face while he continued to run his hands over her belly. "Remember how I told you I couldn't get pregnant?"

"I also remember thinking maybe it was your douchebag boyfriend."

"It might've been partially him but mostly I think it was you." Anna tilted her head down a moment, "When I was at Downton Mary had a doctor take a look at me, a specialist she knew from when she was struggling to have her baby."

"Why?"

"She thought that there could be some damage beyond the basic checks they ran to make sure I wasn't carrying Green's baby." Anna swallowed, "He told me I suffered from incompetent cervix."

"From context clues I know that's not a good thing."

"It meant I couldn't carry a child to term because the weight would've caused a miscarriage at about three months."

"Anna-"

"I'm alright now," Anna soothed. "Doctor Ryder was very good at his job and he fixed it. And while that's it's own miracle, you're the other miracle."

Her hands covered his at her stomach. "And this is our miracle together."

"Yes it is." John grinned and turned his hands to take hers, dragging her toward their room. "And I want to celebrate that miracle by giving you a warm bath and an early night."

"What happened to what you need?" Anna nodded at the obvious tenting in his jeans but John waved it off.

"It's not like I've never tried to recite all the constellations before."

"I'm sure your teenage years were a nightmare for you."

"They weren't overly great in that regard, I'll admit." John took them into the bathroom and filled the bathtub before turning to Anna to help her out of her clothes.

Pregnancy gave her a glow that John loved. The one that set her skin with a luster only he could see. And one that told him they had succeeded in achieving the pinnacle of happiness he never thought he would see again.

But, he admitted, it also swelled her ankles a bit, made mobility difficult, and gave her back pain with the redistribution of weight. Those little aches and pains always made him feel a little guilty. Anna, however, always shushed him and then placed a pair of headphones over her stomach to pay soothing music to the baby or insisted John read aloud to them both. In those moments, with his hand on her skin, John marveled when he felt their baby move.

There had been the time the hand pressed so hard against Anna's skin it had looked like something out of a horror film and Ondine had jumped up from her place on the far chair but it was all worth it. Worth the late night cravings that expanded John's culinary skills and the changes to their sex life. Changes he rather enjoyed, as they had to keep things interesting… much to Ondine's occasional discomfort.

John gave Anna his hand and helped her into the bath. She immediately sighed and when John set to work washing and massaging over her. Her ankles and feet took special attention before John set to working the kinks out of her back. Small snores had John smiling at Anna's ability to sleep anywhere now and he regretted having to wake her to help her out of the bath.

But once she was wrapped up in bed he drained the tub and set to showering the smell of the sea and fish off himself. He dried off with and checked his vibrating phone. A smile graced his face at the text from Ondine about a later dinner with friends that go a reply about curfew that only received an eye roll emoji.

Turning into his room John saw Anna on her side, breathing deeply but not the deeply of sleep. He came to her side, kneeling on the bed, and put his hand on her shoulder. "Anna?"

"I think I need something."

"What?" John's mind immediately flooded with every possible worst-case scenario.

"You." Anna pulled John's hand over her stomach and into the blanket he noted she had not replaced with pajamas, to brush the top of her. "Please?"

"You don't even have to ask." He ran his fingers over her slowly. "I thought you weren't in the mood."

"Whatever gave you that impression?"

"Earlier-"

"I was having a go at you, not destroying your prospects."

"Oh." John dragged a finger through her folds to get her to whimper. "Then, if you insist, it'll be my pleasure."

"I rather think it'll be mine first."

John dragged the blanket away with his free hand and moved behind Anna, spooning around her to ensure she did not have to move from her more comfortable position, and working his fingers deeper. He used his knee to separate her legs and carefully lifted it back of his hip. His other hand wrapped around to massage the muscles there, loosening her up to make sure he did not end their romantic intentions with one false move.

But Anna relaxed completely against him, letting out her own whimpers and moans into the pillow under her head as John pressed forward to draw his fingers from front to back while his erection worked from back to front. All the while his other hand tracked its path over her body with soft touches and gentle kneading to relax her even further. As his hand graced over her stomach and worked toward her breasts he imagined he felt the baby move inside her and grinned to himself.

"What?" Anna gasped out when John's fingers finally worked inside her, driving her mad with slow strokes to match the steady rubbing flick of his thumb against her nerves.

"Just the thought that the baby might know what we're doing."

"I want her as ignorant as possible of this."

"She'll have to know one day."

"Not today." Anna shifted her hips against him, unconsciously rubbing herself back against him. "Please hurry John. I'm already on fire."

John wasted no more time and hurried Anna to her finish. It seemed so much easier now, with all the additional blood running through her, to send her over the edge. He flicked his wrist a final time and nipped at her shoulder and jaw when her inner walls strangled his fingers.

His palm worked to rub her down, the overly sensitive skin still vibrating as he withdrew his fingers. A moment later he positioned himself, slowly sliding in until he seated himself as deeply inside her as possible, and waited. Anna's hips moved first and John took the nonverbal cue to move.

He rocked into her, drawing to the very edge and then sliding back inside as deeply as he could go. John leaned over her to kiss at her neck and finally her lips when she managed to turn her head toward him. And his hands continued their gentle assault on her breasts. That only made her groan into him, the sensitivity there exaggerated with the way they swelled in proportion to her pregnancy… and made it easier to drive her back up toward another orgasm.

There was no rush, no hurry, and all the time in the world as John slowly wound Anna to the edge again. She fell over, taking him with her, and they both lay there afterward with the sound of their breathing echoing around the room. John kissed her cheek as he withdrew and cleaned them both before wrapping Anna in her blanket again.

"I don't need this if you're staying."

"I've got to get dinner on or you'll be hungry later and so will the baby." John came around to her side of the bed and kissed her stomach, grinning when he felt the baby move there. "I won't be gone long, I promise."

He left her dozing in the bed, the baby monitor set up so if she even so much as sneezed he could hear her, and went to the kitchen in his pajamas. The clank and occasional thump of his ingredients always had him cringing and pausing, praying he did not wake her, but it never did. John smiled to himself and set to work.

It became so engrossing that he almost did not hear the door open.

"Dad?" John turned from the oven at the sound of Ondine's voice, missing the tremor there he did not recognize. "Dad are you home?"

"Yes I'm in the kitchen." He turned as her footsteps neared the door, "I thought you were-"

"Thought she was what, Mr. Bates?"

John tightened his grip on the skillet in his hand and leveled it at the tall man with slightly buggy eyes. "Get out of my house."

"Oh I don't think that's a good idea." The man pushed Ondine forward, hand wrapped over her neck from the back, and stepped into the light enough that John recognized the glint of the pistol the man pressed to Ondine's neck. "We wouldn't want any sudden moves that might injure your dear little girl here."

"Ondine, I want you to listen to me very carefully." John darted his eyes at the man before meeting hers again. "It's going to be alright. Understand me? Everything's going to be alright."

"Try not to lie to the child. She's a teenager, not a fool." John bristled at the other voice he recognized when Green stepped behind Ondine, smoothing his hand over her hair before taking the other man's position to hold her in place. "Give her some credit since she knew not to talk to us and even put up a fight."

"I kicked him in the balls." Ondine managed defiantly and the tiny part of John's heart not clenched in fear rose in pride.

"Good girl."

"Didn't do her any good though, did it?" The taller man cut in. "Now, I don't want to make a mess in your lovely kitchen or your… suitable house so let's keep this cordial shall we?"

"You're the one with the gun mate."

"And you're the one with the skillet so why don't you show a little care for the life of your daughter here and put that down?" The man waved his gun toward the island and John rested the skillet there. "There, now we can speak like civilized adults."

"Civilized adults don't usually use children as their body shields or bargaining chips." John bit out, "And there's usually an introduction when a stranger enters the home of another."

"How rude of me." The man put his free hand on his chest. "I'm Simon Bricker. I'm going to guess you've heard of me."

"Only bad things."

"None of them are true, I assure you."

"Your gun there's not helping your case when it comes to earning my good opinion." John held up his hands as he stepped toward them. "Why don't we go where conversations do and take our seats in the sitting room?"

"Fine idea." Bricker waved him forward, "And while you're at it, please bring your wife out here. I think it's time for a bit of a family reunion."

"She's sleeping."

"Then wake her up, Mr. Bates. I've not got all night and the more of my time you waste the less time you'll have as well."

John swallowed and met Ondine's eyes again. "Take them to the sitting room and I'll get Anna, alright? I'll be right back."

"Okay." Ondine nodded and managed her steps, albeit rather stiffly, toward the sitting room.

John hurried down the hall, noticing Green watching him, and entered the bedroom. His hand on Anna's shoulder shook her a bit more than necessary and he covered her mouth as she woke up. His finger to his lips silenced her but widened her eyes.

"Bricker's here and he's got a gun on Ondine. He's brought Green with him."

"What?"

"There's no time to explain." John helped Anna into knickers and one of her looser bras before wrapping a nightgown and her dressing gown around her. "We just need to do what they say and we'll be alright."

"John, what about the police?"

"I've not got my phone."

"I've got mine."

"Hello Anna." They both turned, Anna dropping her phone as the voice sounded from the door but John saw it flash as nine-nine-nine before he kicked it under the bed. "You look a bit different than when I last paid you a visit here."

Anna's fingers dug into John's arm and he pushed her behind him. "Leave her alone Green. We're coming."

"With a woman that size it must take you ages to get anywhere." Green snorted, following them to the sitting room.

Anna immediately took the spot next to Ondine, holding her close, and John sat on the other side as Green took his position behind the chair where Bricker lounged. The gun aimed at them, Bricker's elbow supported on the arm of the chair to keep it steady. John swallowed, clutching the shivering Ondine and the quivering Anna as close to him as possible.

"I'm sure you all know why I'm here."

"I'm afraid we've got no clue."

Bricker raised an eyebrow and then focused on Anna. "You should know, since you never gave it over to the police."

"They're long gone."

"I know you moved them from your greenhouse hiding place. Green here discovered that when he left you… how to put it delicately… ah, yes, without your virtue." Bricker sniffed at John, "Though I think he did the honors of that long before Green took his piece of you."

"Speak like that about my wife again and I'll-"

"And you'll what, Mr. Bates," Bricker pointed the gun at him. "Defense of her honor is all well and good but I've six bullets in here and there are three of you. That's two each and from this distance I like the odds that I make all my shots."

Bricker stopped, "I apologize, one each and two to spare. I forgot there's a little parasite growing in your wife right now."

John swallowed but said nothing. Bricker took a deep breath and turned his focus to Anna again. "Now, where is the package you had with you when you first washed up on this godforsaken beach?"

"I buried it."

"Yes, you did bury it once but then you moved it."

"They're gone."

Bricker tightened his hold on the gun. "They'd better not be."

"They're gone from that hiding place."

"So where are they now?"

Anna swallowed, "I took them into the bay. They're in one of the lobster pots. I thought it was safest since no one would look out there."

"In a lobster pot?" Bricker snorted his laughter, "I always knew you were smarter than you looked."

"I'll give you the location of it if you promise to leave them alone."

"Anna-" John tried to argue but Bricker hissed both of them to silence.

"No, here's what we'll do so you don't have us drawing all that unnecessary attention to ourselves by pulling up every lobster pot in the bay." Bricker stood and waved his gun to get them to stand. "We're all going to board that rather conveniently docked boat out there and you'll take us to them. Once they're in my possession again you'll bring us back here and we'll never see one another again."

"Because you'll kill us?" Ondine managed, cowering when Green went to swipe at her.

John knocked his hand away and landed a punch that Green drew a gun to return but Bricker stopped him. "Alex, we're all gentlemen here. He's defending his daughter and there's something to be said about that."

"Not like you." John responded but Bricker did not even flinch.

"And we'll have none of that." Bricker crouched to look Ondine in the eye. "And you'll never see us again because none of us are going to talk about this ever again. We'll go our way and you go yours. Does that sound fair?"

Ondine nodded and Bricker stood. "Excellent. Then let's be off as the sooner we start the sooner this is all over."

"Da?" Ondine turned to John and he risked a look at Anna before nodding.

"Come on Ondine. Let's get them what they want and then get back here. It'll all be over soon."

"I'll stay." Green insisted, shaking his head at the beach as they left the house.

"It's only water Green." Bricker forced him forward. "What's it going to do to us? We'll be on a boat."

"People fall off of boats." Green muttered as John lifted Anna onto the deck and urged she and Ondine below before helping Bricker and Green board.

"Then don't fall off." Bricker held his gun steady on John. "Soon as you can Mr. Bates. We don't have all night."

"Then we're off." John released the ropes and steered into the harbor.


	20. Water Birth

They left the inlet, the lights from the boat projecting like luminescent eyes out into the harbor. John steered, Bricker's gun never far from his eye line, as Green kept himself slotted tightly where he could view Anna and Ondine in the cabin of the ship. He managed to check on them occasionally but most of his focus had to be on steering the boat out to the bay.

At the back of his mind, while making a line toward his lobster pots, John honestly wondered if the dialed phone, now under their bed, did anything. Maybe there were some people out looking for them. Or, as John noted with the silence around them except the slapping waves against his boat, he doubted anyone was coming for them.

As they approached the area John slowed the boat and aimed the lights. He worked toward the deck, lighting it to make sure he would not slip or trip over anything, and held up his hands as Bricker aimed the gun at him. "I don't want anyone killing themselves while we get what you want. It's already rocky here. Might as well make it all easier for us."

"How kind of you." Bricker waved with the gun. "Quick about it."

"Anna?" John walked back toward the cabin, carefully minding his step as the boat rocked slightly, and began climbing down into the cabin. "I need your help to find the right lobster pot."

Anna nodded and Ondine helped her off the narrow bed. In another circumstance John might have tried to remember and reminisce about how their relationship started there. At this moment John had no time to think about it as the gun pressed into his side.

He waited at the top of the staircase as Anna started up them. But in less than a second she groaned her hand clamped on the railing. Even in the low lighting John could see the white of her knuckles and her other hand grabbing at her belly.

"Anna?" John started down the stairs but Green's hand at the back of his collar hauled him back.

"I don't think so. I'm not going for one of your tricks."

"John?" Anna whimpered, catching herself on the steps before Ondine came behind her. "I think… I think the baby's coming."

"Convenient." Green sneered, "I'm not an idiot and I've watched enough movies to see through this. Get your ass up here and find the lobster pot you manipulative bitch."

"It's not convenient dickhead," Ondine shouted at Green, helping Anna onto the deck. "She's nine months pregnant."

Ondine and John helped Anna to the deck and John managed a small smile as Ondine stuck her finger in Green's face. "And she's not a bitch you bastard. You're the nervous wreck you unbelievable pansy."

"You-"

"Stop," Bricker stopped Green's argument, "Now get her up and find that lobster pot."

John lifted Anna up and helped her onto one of the containers on the deck. Her fingers clawed into his shirt and John noticed the damp spots on her dressing gown. He put his hands behind her elbows to hold her up as her whole body shook. With all the strength he had, John held her to him.

"Sweetheart," John whispered, "I need to know which pot it is."

"It's in the Delta group." Anna bit out, her arms trembling as her grip slackening. "It can't… John I'm…"

"I know." John turned over his shoulder, nodding for Ondine to join him. "I need you to take care of her. Can you do that?"

"I hope so." Ondine grabbed at Anna's arm to help her onto the deck. "I've seen all the episodes of _Call the Midwife_ so here's hoping I can help her."

"All the episodes?"

"Yeah," Ondine nodded, "It's a bit dated but I can do it."

"Okay." John moved to the cabin and pulled out his map to guide his boat along his line of pots to reach the Delta group.

"Is this it Mr. Bates?" Bricker still held his gun and John nodded.

"It's what she said and it makes sense."

"Why?"

"The Delta group's not been really active lately and it's out of the way." John frowned, "But it's a bit odd."

"Odd?" Bricker stepped forward and John shrugged.

"It's just odd that she'd have been out here in the first place." John lowered the anchor to keep the boat in place and moved back to the deck.

As he went to check on Anna again Green's hands grabbed him and tossed him forward. "No time for that. Get what we want."

John caught himself on the deck and slipped forward to stand again. He ground down on his jaw and moved to this hook to locate and lift the pots from the water. Pushing himself off the edge, he climbed up to aim the light above and locate the pot line in the water.

Dropping back to the deck, John slid along the deck and lowered the hook into the water. The splash of the hook coincided with Anna's scream followed by Ondine's own shriek. John turned to them and noted Ondine's hand crushed in Anna's strangling grip. He stepped toward them but Green stepped in his way, hand holding tightly to a swinging rope.

"Task at hand, Mr. Bates."

He turned back to the pots and winched the hook to raise it out of the water. They clanked together and knocked hollowly on the deck as John dropped them. Moving forward to handle the pots, John pulled the roping off them but Green pushed him away to kick the pots open himself. Bricker came to join him and John hurried to Anna's side as Ondine tried to position her.

"I think she's close." Ondine wiped at her forehead, waves splashing over the side to drench them. "I can't tell in this light but I think I see the baby's head."

John bent down to check and squinted but shook his head, "You might be right but I don't know."

"How don't you know?"

"I've never seen a birth."

"Weren't you at mine?"

John shook his head, taking Anna's hand as she screamed through another contraction. "Your mother kicked me out of the room the moment I showed up. She also screamed some of the worst things I think she ever said to me."

"And you left?"

"She almost kicked a nurse trying to kick me so they kicked me out themselves." John cringed as Anna tightened her grip to squeeze down to his bones through another contraction. "But I'm not going anywhere."

"Yes you are." John froze as the gun barrel hit the back of his neck. "Where is it?"

John turned to Anna but her face was scrunched as another contraction sent her wailing unintelligibly while Ondine ducked under Anna's nightgown to check on the baby. Standing up slowly he faced Bricker and Green, hands in the air as he tried to shield Anna and Ondine. "I don't know where it is. I did what she told me."

"It's not in those pots." Green came forward, grabbing John's shirt and yanking him toward the crushed pots.

"I don't-" Green's fist impacted with John's cheek and the pain exploded over his face to send him to the deck.

John's hands tried to catch himself but he slipped on the wet deck and cut himself on the shattered pots. As he tried to pick himself up, Green's foot connected with John's side and he fell sideways into the shards. It cut through his pajamas and tried to pick himself up again.

Green came for him but John rolled out of the way and grabbed the other end of the winch. It swung and snapped around to catch Green on the side of the head. He stumbled and John picked himself up enough to charge into Green's midriff. They crashed into the side of the boat and the ropes of the pots caught around Green's legs. John tried to move away, slipping over the deck, as Green reached for him. But then the ropes tightened and Green slipped over the edge.

John moved to go back to Anna and Ondine but Bricker cleared his throat, his gun pressed to the back of Ondine's neck as his hand dug into her shoulder. "I think you've made your point, Mr. Bates, and it's time you make yourself more useful before you find yourself one child short."

He swallowed and tried to move over the rolling deck, the shards biting into his feet and filling the cuts with saltwater. Grimacing and moving toward Bricker, John tried to speak. "I don't know have what you're looking for."

"Then I guess I need to take something you're looking for." Bricker pulled the hammer back, "Is there anything you should say to your daughter?"

John faced Ondine, "Turn left."

Bricker frowned but Ondine ducked left and John tackled Bricker to the deck. The gun went off near John's ear and he cringed away from it. Bricker whipped him across the face with the gun and John rolled away, but kept his hand in Bricker's lapels to pull him with him away from Anna and Ondine.

He managed to get on top of Bricker and knocked the gun away. Bricker kicked at John, landing a knee in John's back, but John managed his elbow to knock into Bricker's chin. The man fell back and John hauled him into the fish tank, dropping Bricker with a thud and an echoing moan.

Breathing hard, John worked his way back to Anna as Ondine wrapped something in a towel. John grabbed Anna, holding her close, "Are you alright?"

She could only nod and lean into him as Ondine crouched next to them. "What names had you picked out?"

"What?" John frowned as Ondine presented him the baby, placing it gently in John's arms.

"It's a boy." Ondine left them a moment, coming back with a fillet knife and twine. "Hold on Anna."

She tied off the umbilical cord on the little boy and then closer to Anna before cutting it. In another minute the placenta delivered and Ondine made a face. "That's disgusting."

"He's not." John looked at the little boy in the towel and presenting him to Anna. "Anna, he's here."

She managed to smile, her breathing labored. John turned at the sounds coming from the fish tank and something beating against the side of the boat. He went to move when lights lit up their boat.

John covered his eyes, shielding Anna and the baby while Ondine raised a hand to her own eyes. Feet hit on the deck and they huddled together as a tall man walked toward them. "Took a bit to find you Mr. Bates. But your wife was very specific about where to search if you weren't at your house."

"Mr. Talbot?"

"We got the call from your house and when you weren't there and neither was your boat we came here."

"How?"

"I told them." Anna managed and John moved to face her. "I told them that is Bricker came for me we'd be coming to the Delta group of lobster pots."

"Why?"

"Because I already handed over the drugs when I signed my confession." Anna opened her eyes and nodded at Talbot. "I'm glad you remembered Mr. Talbot."

"And thank you for your gifts in return." Talbot caught himself on the side as the boat moved with the shift as the Coast Guard hauled Bricker from the tank and pulled Green's beaten and drenched body from the side. "I think I've got a place to keep them."

"Far away from us is best." John handed Ondine the baby and lifted Anna into his arms. "I think we need to get to hospital."

"Probably best." Talbot nodded to them and then paused, "And congratulations on the baby."

"Thank you, Mr. Talbot." John turned to Ondine, "We need to raise the anchor and get the boat back to the dock."

"We'll have an ambulance waiting." Talbot jumped onto the Coast Guard ship. "Good luck to you."

"We might need it." John looked at Ondine, "Are you ready to steer?"

"New captain at the helm." Ondine held her brother closer as John situated Anna into the cabin and took the baby back.

"New captain at the helm."


	21. Red Sky at Night, Sailor's Delight

John held up his hands as Ondine entered his room. "What do you think?"

"Your mittens now match your new socks." Ondine pointed to the bandages on John's feet as she jumped onto his bed. "Like the little hat they gave my brother."

"I think we need a better name for him."

"Yeah, 'Little Brother' seems a bit indigenous and I don't think we want the view that we're trying culturally appropriating."

"Best not." John sighed back into his bed a moment before peeking forward. "Think you could nab me a wheelchair?"

"Want to escape?"

"I want to see Anna. Make sure she's alright." John narrowed his eyes at Ondine, "Ready for a small jail break?"

"I think I could get into a life of crime with you." Ondine grinned and jumped from the bed. "Give me a minute."

She vanished for a few moments and then came back with a wheelchair. "Stole this from an old lady."

"Push her out of it did you?"

"She might've broke a hip." Ondine helped lower the railing on John's bed and get him into the seat. "How long are you going to need one of these?"

"Not long. The salt water actually cleaned out the injuries on my feet so they're just waiting for scabbing."

"Gross."

"Says the girl who helped deliver a baby and cut the umbilical cord before delivering the placenta." John helped steer the chair out of the room and guided it into the hallway.

"Yeah… let's not…" Ondine shivered. "Let's not talk about that ever again."

"It'll be something you can tell your brother when he gets older."

"I think I'd rather never mention it again."

"Maybe you've got a career in medicine." John frowned, "Where's the maternity ward?"

"This way." Ondine dragged the chair backward and John struggled to steer himself around and work the wheels forward.

They traveled through the hospital, Ondine guiding John down the different hallways until they reached the room they needed. Ondine pushed the door open and John steered himself inside. Anna, still resting in bed, turned to them and smiled.

"There's the other half of our family." Anna moved her arms and John caught sight of the washed and rinsed, wrapped, and bundled baby in her arms.

"Is he as perfect as I thought?" John leaned forward, working himself delicately on his tender feet, and landed on the edge of Anna's bed.

Ondine took up the other side as Anna handed the baby over. "I think he is."

John pulled back the blanket, "All ten fingers, all ten toes, a nose, and two eyes."

"He's also got ears and a set of lungs." Ondine laughed. "He was screaming bloody murder earlier."

"Was he?" John turned to Anna and she shrugged.

"He didn't like them running their tests on him." Anna shook her head, "It's normal."

"I only know what's normal once you get them back home." John nudged Ondine. "I remember you were the quietest baby I'd ever heard."

"Really?"

"Really." John winced, "I paid for it later when I found out how loud you are now."

Ondine shoved at him, "You're the worst."

John only grinned at her before facing Anna, "Do we have a name for our little miracle?"

"I'm guessing 'Water Baby' is out of the question."

"I'm not a fan of it, I'll be honest." John adjusted his hold as the baby shifted to get closer to him. "We could go with Henry."

"After Mr. Talbot?" Anna shook her head, "I don't think so."

"Why not?"

"It took him forever to get to us." Anna reached a hand forward, combing a gentle hand over the dark hair on the baby's head. "What about Jack? After you?"

"Doesn't fit with his water birth and I'd rather not give our son 'the third' at the end of his name."

"What about Caspian?" Ondine suggested and John turned to her as Anna did too. "It's the prince from _The Chronicles of Narnia_ books but it's also a sea. Like me he'll remind you of the water."

John faced Anna, "What do you think?"

"Caspian Bates…" Anna nodded, "I like it. But he'll need a nickname so kids don't pick on him in school."

"Cass." Ondine supplied again, "If he's going to get teased at all might as well say it's because he's got the name of the girl."

"We can call him 'Ian' for short." John frowned at him. "I'm not calling anyone 'Cass'."

"Then welcome to the world, Caspian Bates." Anna took the baby back as he blinked up at them. "It's good to have you here."

* * *

John held Caspian by the stomach as he kicked and batted at the water. "That's right, keep kicking."

Caspian burbled in the water, giggling and sending bubbles up. His little arms flailed as he tried to move forward while John kept a steady hand on him. After another minute, John lifted him from the water and held him to his chest.

"Look at you. You're practically a mermaid."

"Technically he'd be a merman." Ondine sat on the dock as John walked toward it. "Because he's a boy, not a girl."

"I do know the difference." John poked at Ondine's side and handed Caspian to her. "Could you take Ian to the house and give him a bath before we go to Mr. Carson's retirement party."

"Why can't you?"

"Because I've got to get Anna." John climbed out of the water and boarded his boat. "And you can't drive."

"I did steer the boat to get us to the docks when he was born." Ondine held Caspian up as she walked down the dock.

"You left three huge gouges in my boat and you broke part of the deck."

"Then maybe you should've taught me to drive it."

John pointed toward the house, "Please get your brother into the bath and then get both of yourselves changed."

"Yes sir."

Ondine walked down the deck, holding Caspian to her. John unhooked the ropes and guided the boat into the inlet. He moved the boat out into the bay, guiding it toward one of the small islands.

He docked there, hoping onto the deck to tie his boat up. As he walked the dock he caught sight of Anna working her way over the rocks toward him. John raised his arm to wave at her and she waved him toward her.

Weaving through the rocks, John joined her at the edge of a small cliff. "We've got to go or we'll be late."

"I know." Anna took his hand, "But I wanted to share this moment with you."

"Which moment?"

"This one." Anna waved her hand toward the setting sun. "Isn't it gorgeous."

"Not as gorgeous as you."

"Charmer." Anna took in his swim trunks. "What were you doing?"

"Teaching Caspian to swim."

"You softie he's not even six months old yet."

"Never too early to start." John pulled her back toward the boat. "Come on. We're going to be late and Ondine'll be very upset."

"Because she's the one watching her brother?" Anna walked with John but stopped them to watch the sunset again.

"Exactly that." John went to pull her along but paused, joining her in watching the sunset a moment more. "Sailors delight."

"What?"

"Red sky for the sunset." John pulled Anna closer, "It's called 'sailor's delight' and it's supposed to spell good fortune for the sailors."

"Oh," Anna shrugged, "I guess it's our good fortune then."

"I find myself very fortunate." John kissed her. "I've a beautiful wife, a lovely daughter, and a little boy. What else could I possibly want?"

"Maybe another one?"

"Another one?" John frowned and then widened his eyes. "You mean another baby?"

"I don't mean another boat." Anna kissed John's hands and held his gaze. "Do you want another child?"

"I do." John kissed her forehead, "Just not until Caspian can run on his own."

"I wasn't talking about right now."

"Well," John looked around and then tugged Anna's hand to pull her after him to a small alcove. "Why not work on making one now since Caspian took so long to get here."

"Here?" Anna laughed but immediately lost her laugh in John's kiss. "We could get seen."

"And?" John kissed over her face, tracing down her neck to where her swimsuit tied behind her neck. "Afraid we'll get caught?"

"I'd rather not be known as an exhibitionist."

"Then we'll have to keep quiet so no one knows we're here." John pulled the straps down, lowering Anna toward the sands while lowering the top of her swimsuit. "What do you think?"

"I think you'll have to move fast or your daughter's going to suspect why we got held up." Anna pulled John to her, grabbing his swim trunks to tug them down his legs. "And I'd rather not have to face her after the last time."

"She was only a little late."

"Little late is still late." Anna moaned as John's mouth settled over her breasts, their hands joining to try and get their swimsuits out of the way.

"Then we won't be late." John tossed their swimsuits away, hand moving between Anna's legs to send her over the edge. "We'll have to be fast."

Anna's response was to grab John and squeeze and massage him as her legs moved around his waist. John adjusted himself, groaning around Anna's breast while his fingers tried to send her to the edge. Her free hand grabbed at the back of his neck, pulling his lips to hers, and then tilted her hips to drag John closer to her.

John removed his fingers to hold at her hip as he drove in. She cried out as John moved deeply and roughly in his thrusts as his fingers pressed and rubbed over her. Anna clung at John's hair when he returned the focus of his mouth to her breasts again, nipping and biting down as she shrieked.

"Faster." Anna urged, writhing under him and digging her heel just under his thigh. "Faster please."

Furiously working over Anna and rutting against her, John finished. Anna raised her hips and the last movements of John sent her over the edge. They both stopped a moment, trying to breathe, and did not move until a wave washed over them.

John started laughing, "From her to eternity."

"Not a great movie." Anna got up, grabbing her swimsuit and easing back into it and tossing John his trunks. "Come on, before Ondine's aware of what we're doing out here."

"What were you doing out here?"

"Writing the ending."

"Ending to what?" John climbed up the rocks after her and led them back to the boat.

"To that book you suggested I write." Anna winked at him, "The one about the selkie and the landsman."

"I'd read it."

"I hope so."


	22. Epilogue: She Came from the Water

_Life had never treated him kindly. Life treats few people kindly since it does not care too much about people. That is why people need to be kinder and why life is only kinder if we are kinder._

 _My daughter, Ondine, was the best thing in my life. She was the one who still believed in miracles and fairy tales and all those things I'd forgotten. All those things I didn't find again until I found Anna._

 _The woman I pulled from the water in my net and married. The woman who brought light back into my life. The woman who made me who I am._

 _We tell it to our children as a fairy tale. The story of a landsman who found a selkie in his net. And the selkie who chose to stay with the landsman._

 _Caspian doesn't believe it. He and his mother race one another in the water and she even coached his swim team to their wins. The same swim team that gave her purpose in her life again._

 _The same purpose she and Ondine found when they published the fictionalized version of our story. A story heavily edited. Especially when the cases finally came to court._

 _The journalists who came after us after that drove my family mad. They wanted all the details on Anna's life in Yorkshire and demanded she relive the horrors of her mother and stepfather's relationship. And when the police finally found the evidence that proved Bricker killed her mother it only got worse._

 _Green faced her in the courtroom and the lawyers tried to destroy her. Tried to say she brought it on herself and that Green's actions were natural. It might've taken the basic nature of the Irish to hate the English that helped convict him. That and the other women who came forward and destroyed him._

 _I admit, I wasn't the least bit upset when I heard he'd been murdered in prison._

 _As for Bricker… he never even made it to trial. There was a moment when the police thought Anna might've done it but they soon realized it was suicide. The man who thought himself so high couldn't taken the idea of being brought so low._

 _What a horrible cliché._

 _But none of that matters. All that matters is my family. The family we built together. First with Ondine, then with Anna, then with Caspian. We wanted more children after that but… life had other plans._

 _They were enough. For a time Anna and I thought maybe not but when we realized we couldn't have anymore children we found the joy in that. Joy in the life we brought up together and the life they brought us._

 _But I guess that's what happens when a landsman pulls a selkie up in his net. And they fall in love with one another. And she cries her tears to stay with him. And buries her seal coat._

 _Then they can be together forever._


End file.
